Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem instructed airports to play a video blaming Democrats for flight delays and other disruptions due to the ongoing government shutdown.
At least eight major U.S. airports balked at the request, arguing that the directive crosses a legal and ethical line.
Playing the DHS/Noem video, airport officials say, would violate federal ethics laws that prohibit partisan messaging on public property.
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The controversy marks the second time in recent weeks that the Trump administration has used federal agency channels to target political opponents during the shutdown—raising questions about the administration's relaxed enforcement of the Hatch Act. This law bars government employees from using official resources for partisan purposes.
"Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government and because of this, many of our operations are impacted," Noem says in the video. The DHS requested that airports run the 30-second clip on internal terminal screens alongside other public service announcements.
But as of Tuesday, Portland International and at least seven other facilities declined to comply.
“We believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes and messaging," a spokesperson for Portland International Airport told The Washington Post.
Officials at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport said they are "evaluating" the DHS request, according to local outlet WWL Louisiana.
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The shutdown began on October 1 after lawmakers failed to pass a funding bill. Since then, it halted most non-essential federal operations and left hundreds of thousands of employees unpaid. Democrats have insisted that any funding package maintain subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. The removal, they argue, would cause health premiums to soar nationwide.
Noem’s video rollout mirrors other partisan messaging efforts from the administration in recent weeks. Just before the shutdown, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) drew criticism after displaying a banner on its website that read: "The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government. HUD will use available resources to help Americans in need."
Ethics experts warn that such statements may violate the Hatch Act. The 1939 law restricts federal employees from engaging in political activity while on duty. They’re also not allowed to use government resources for partisan aims.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration loosened enforcement, including allowing employees to wear "Make America Great Again" paraphernalia at work.
Previous administrations have used shutdown messaging to explain government impacts. However, none have gone as far as to assign partisan blame. In 2013, per NPR, then-President Barack Obama issued a letter to federal workers acknowledging Congress's failure to pass a spending bill.
"This shutdown was completely preventable," Obama wrote at the time without mentioning Republicans. "It should not have happened."
By contrast, Noem's video marks a sharp break from that tradition—transforming what's typically a nonpartisan public communication into a flashpoint in an already fraught political standoff.
Spirit Airlines (NYSE:SAVE); JetBlue (NASDAQ:JBLU); United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL); Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV); American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL); Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL); SkyWest (NASDAQ:SKYW) and Alaska Airlines (NYSE:ALK) are reportedly experiencing the most significant disruptions and cancellations between Monday, Oct. 13, and today.
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