It’s not every day the TSA tries to make airport checkpoints political, but that’s exactly what Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem did with a new partisan video on the government shutdown, prompting several airports to refuse to play along.
Officials in Buffalo, Charlotte, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle, and Portland all confirmed they declined to show the video. Many cited policies prohibiting political messaging or laws that restrict the use of public resources for political purposes.
“We believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes and messaging,” said Molly Prescott, spokesperson for the Port of Portland, which operates Portland International Airport. She added that Oregon law also forbids public employees from promoting or opposing political parties while on the job. “This is the first time to our knowledge that the Port has declined to play a video,” she said.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Live and Let's Fly.
