Overview
- Major hubs including Atlanta, Chicago, the New York area, Dallas, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Seattle declined to run the clip on airport‑controlled screens, citing neutrality policies or state law.
- TSA asked airports to play the 30‑plus‑second message, and the video continues on some TSA‑owned checkpoint monitors, though Detroit’s airport authority has now asked TSA to shut it off at DTW.
- Senate Democrats led by Maria Cantwell urged the Office of Special Counsel to investigate and pressed DHS for removal and a cost accounting, with Richard Blumenthal and Jack Reed also citing the Anti‑Lobbying Act.
- DHS and TSA defended the message as explaining shutdown impacts, repeating that most TSA officers are working without pay and saying security operations remain largely unimpacted.
- Ethics scholars say the messaging likely violates the Hatch Act, yet practical enforcement is constrained—OSC is affected by the shutdown and penalties for senior officials are typically limited.