In October 2025, the Department of Homeland Security under Secretary Kristi Noem released a short video intended to play at airport security checkpoints via the Transportation Security Administration. In the video, Noem states:
“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 adds that TSA’s priority is to ensure efficient and safe travel, but “we hope … Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.”
The Hatch Act restricts partisan political activity by federal executive-branch employees during certain official duties and prohibits the use of government resources for partisan purposes. Key concerns here include:
The video was produced and distributed via DHS/TSA channels, using an official capacity platform.
It was displayed at TSA checkpoints — a venue where federal employees are on duty and identifiable.
The content explicitly blames one political party (Democrats in Congress) for a government shutdown and seeks to influence public perception (and possibly votes).
The use of federal displays and lists of airports as carriers raises the concern of using taxpayer-funded assets for partisan messaging.