TSA video of Noem blaming shutdown on Democrats isn’t playing at Sacramento airport
The Sacramento International Airport is not showing travelers a video in which U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claims that congressional Democrats were solely at fault for the ongoing federal government shutdown, which is now in its third week.
A spokesperson for the Sacramento County Department of Airports did not respond to a question about why the Sacramento airport was not playing the video, but many airports across the U.S. have also skipped it, including facilities in Oakland, San Jose and San Francisco.
A spokesperson for the Portland International Airport told The Washington Post that the video appeared to violate the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from making political statements at work.
Democrats in Congress refused to agree to a budget unless it extended the health insurance subsidies that support many of the 24 million Americans who have Affordable Care Act plans. Without a budget deal, the federal government shut down on Oct. 1. That has generally stopped the paychecks of federal workers — even those required to show up to their jobs, such as Transportation Security Administration personnel and air traffic controllers. The lack of pay has caused some workers to call out, which has in turn caused some travel delays, which is where Noem comes in.
“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,” Noem says in the video, wearing a sky blue jacket and bold hoops. “However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government. And because of this, many of our operations are impacted. ... Our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.”
Democrats have said they want a deal before open enrollment starts Nov. 1. Noem’s suggestion that TSA usually provides a “pleasant and efficient” screening experience has received less attention.
This story was originally published October 14, 2025 at 11:12 AM.
