U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, flanked by Deputy Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration Ha McNeil and Adam Stahl, TSA Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Administrator, speaks during a news conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on July 8, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.
Kent Nishimura | Getty Images
Major U.S. airports from New York to Florida to Nevada are refusing to air a video showing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats in Congress for the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Some of those airports cited the political nature of Noem’s message for not showing the video, saying that it violated their policies.
The Transportation Security Administration sent requests to airports nationwide to air the video on screens near passenger screening lines.
Noem, in the video, says, “It is TSA’s top priority to make sure that you have the most pleasant and efficient airport experience as possible while we keep you safe,” according to MSNBC.
“However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay,” says Noem, whose department oversees the TSA.
Noem’s message is consistent with comments by President Donald Trump and other top administration officials, who since the shutdown began on Oct. 1 have blamed congressional Democrats for not joining Republicans to pass a stopgap funding bill to resume normal government operations.
Democrats refuse to budge on their demand that any funding deal extend enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, which are due to expire at the end of this year. Republicans, in turn, refuse to include that provision.
Air traffic controllers resume operations a day after Hollywood Burbank Airport operated for hours without a staffed control tower due to staffing shortages amid the U.S. government shutdown, in Burbank, California, U.S., Oct. 7, 2025.
Daniel Cole | Reuters
The airports that refused to show Noem’s video include the three major airports in the New York City area: John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport in Queens, and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
“The Port Authority’s longstanding policies prevent airing of politically partisan messages at our facilities, so airports are not airing the video on airport-controlled screens,” said a spokeswoman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates those three airports.
The Chicago Department of Aviation, which operates O’Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport, also declined DHS’s request.
“Advertising at Chicago’s airports, including promotional materials and public service announcements, must comply with CDA’s Advertising Guidelines, which prohibit content that endorses or opposes any named political party,” the department said in an email. “These guidelines help ensure the airports remain welcoming and neutral spaces for all travelers.”
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Portland International Airport in Oregon also refused to show the video.
The Portland airport “did not consent to playing the video in its current form, as we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes and messaging,” Molly Prescott, aviation communications manager for the Port of Portland, which operates the airport, told CNBC by email.
The Hatch Act prohibits certain political activities by federal government employees and aims to protect federal employees from political coercion at work.
“Additionally, Oregon law states no public employee can promote or oppose any political committee, party, or affiliation,” Prescott said. ” We believe consenting to playing this video on Port assets would violate Oregon law.”
A spokesman for Miami International Airport said it is not playing the new Noem video but instead, an older one informing travelers about Real IDs, “to be consistent with Miami-Dade County policy regarding messaging within” the airport. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport isn’t showing the video “as our advertising policy does not permit political messaging to be displayed in our facility,” a spokeswoman told CNBC.
A spokesperson for Charlotte Douglas International Airport said that showing the video would violate local laws and airport policies.
“Additionally, TSA does not own any monitors at the airport’s checkpoints,” the Charlotte airport spokesperson said. “The limited digital screens owned by CLT are designated for static content that supports wayfinding, provides essential travel information and promotes CLT’s revenue-generating services.”
Spokespeople for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas said those facilities declined to post the video because of policies barring political content.
A spokesperson for the Las Vegas airport said that “as a facility that hosts federal operations, we remain mindful of the Hatch Act’s restrictions on political activity in government workplaces.”
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport has reportedly refused to show Noem’s video.
CNBC reached out to various airports across the U.S. seeking comment on whether they are airing the video.
A representative for the Detroit Metro Airport said that Noem’s video is being shown on monitors in TSA-leased areas.
A spokesperson for Austin–Bergstrom International Airport said the TSA checkpoints at the airport are not equipped with video monitors, so they are unable to show any video or digital content.
In a statement to CNBC, Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary, reiterated comments that Noem made on the video.
“While this creates challenges for our people, our security operations remain largely unimpacted at this time,” McLaughlin added. “It’s unfortunate our workforce has been put in this position due to political gamesmanship,” she said.
“Our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.”
A shortage of air traffic controllers during the government shutdown has caused flight delays and disruptions, CNBC reported last week.
On Friday, airlines told travelers to brace for delays over the Columbus Day holiday weekend due to staffing shortages.
Last week, air traffic controller shortages contributed to delays at airports including Burbank, California, and Nashville, Tennessee.
Air travel was snarled during the more than month-long government shutdown that ended in January 2019, hours after a shortfall of air traffic controllers disrupted flights in the New York area.
Before that, some airport security checkpoints were closed due to elevated sick calls from Transportation Security Administration screeners who are also working without pay.
On Tuesday, air traffic controllers received their first partial paycheck. If the shutdown continues, they will miss a full paycheck on Oct. 28.
Controllers handed out pamphlets at airports in New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicagoon Tuesday to urge the public to press lawmakers to end the shutdown.