DHS airs Noem video at airports blaming Democrats for shutdown

The video was first obtained by Fox News and contains this line from Secretary Noem, "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.".

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Oct. 9, 2025 that the message was being rolled out to airports.

Many major airports — including facilities in New York, Seattle, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Charlotte, and Chicago — declined to play the clip, citing policies against partisan content and potential violations of the Hatch Act.

Reporting states roughly 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 TSA officers remain on duty during the shutdown and have not been paid, contributing to flight delays and cancellations.