Chicago O’Hare International and Midway International airports are among those that have refused to play a video with a message from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in which she blames Democrats for the federal government shutdown and its impact on TSA operations, the city’s Department of Aviation said Tuesday.
The Aviation Department said it declined a request from the Department of Homeland Security to post the video at Chicago’s airports last week. A DHS representative asked the city to post the video at checkpoint monitors specifically, according to an email reviewed by the Tribune.
“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 city’s Aviation Department said in a statement. “These guidelines help ensure the airports remain welcoming and neutral spaces for all travelers.”
“Not in Chicago,” Mayor Brandon Johnson wrote Tuesday in a social media post in reference to the Noem video. In a statement, the mayor said he had instructed the aviation department to decline to play the video.
“Our airports are for Chicagoans and visitors to travel safely to and from our city; they are not for the Trump administration to spread propaganda using taxpayer resources,” he said.
Airports in Las Vegas, Charlotte, Atlanta, Phoenix and Seattle also say the video goes against their airport policy or regulations which prohibit political messaging in their facilities.
Various government agencies, in emails to workers and on websites, have adopted language that blames Democrats for the shutdown, with some experts arguing it could be in violation of the 1939 Hatch Act, which restricts certain political activities by federal employees.
The shutdown has halted routine operations and left airports scrambling with flight disruptions. Democrats say any deal to reopen the government has to address their health care demands, and Republicans say they won’t negotiate until they agree to fund the government. Insurance premiums would double if Congress fails to renew the subsidy payments that expire Dec. 31.
In the video, Noem says that TSA’s “top priority” is to help make travel pleasant and efficient while keeping passengers safe.
“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,” she continues.
The Transportation Security Administration falls under the Department of Homeland Security. Roughly 61,000 of the agency’s 64,130 employees are required to continue working during the shutdown. The department said Friday that the video is being rolled out to airports across the country.
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A DHS spokeswoman responded to a request for comment restating some of the message from Noem’s video.
“It’s unfortunate our workforce has been put in this position due to political gamesmanship. Our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government,” spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said.
Harry Reid International Airport officials in Las Vegas said they had to “remain mindful of the Hatch Act’s restrictions.”
“Per airport regulations, the terminals and surrounding areas are not designated public forums, and the airport’s intent is to avoid the use of the facility for political or religious advocacy,” the statement said.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said the county north of New York City won’t play the video at its local airport. In a statement, he called the video “inappropriate, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values we expect from our nation’s top public officials,” and said its tone is “unnecessarily alarmist” as it relates to operations at Westchester County Airport.
“At a time when we should be focused on ensuring stability, collaboration and preparedness, this type of messaging only distracts from the real issues, and undermines public trust,” he said.
Even in red states, airports weren’t showing the video for various reasons. Salt Lake City International Airport wasn’t playing the video because state law prohibits using city-owned property for political purposes, said airport spokesperson Nancy Volmer.
The airport in Billings, Montana, “politely declined” even though it has screens that could show the video with audio, assistant aviation director Paul Khera said Tuesday.
“We don’t want to get in the middle of partisan politics,” Khera said. “We like to stay middle of the road, we didn’t want to play that video.”
Associated Press writers Rio Yamat in Las Vegas and Mead Gruver in Fort Collins, Colorado contributed.