The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is introducing a new video featuring Secretary Kristi Noem, in which she attributes the government shutdown to the Democrats. This video is set to be displayed to travelers at TSA checkpoints across the United States.
Fox News was the first to obtain the video on Thursday. A DHS official subsequently confirmed the release of this “public service video” in a statement acquired by Nexstar.
In the clip shared by Fox News, Noem states, “TSA’s main goal is to ensure you have as smooth and secure an airport experience as possible. Unfortunately, Democrats in Congress have not agreed to fund the federal government, which has resulted in many of our operations being affected and the majority of TSA staff working without pay.”
Noem goes on to say, “We are committed to minimizing travel disruptions and sincerely hope that the Democrats will soon realize the necessity of reopening our government.”
A DHS representative confirmed that Noem’s comments are scheduled to be aired “in airports nationwide.” The rest of the representative’s statement was largely in line with what Noem articulated in the video.
The DHS has yet to provide details about when the video will be implemented or specify the exact locations at TSA checkpoints where it will be displayed.
Noem’s TSA video is the latest example of the Trump administration’s use of partisan language to assign blame to the Democrats for the shutdown of the federal government. In the first few days of the shutdown, messages from the U.S Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Department of Education blamed politicians on the left for failing to pass a stopgap spending bill, while some government websites greeted visitors with language that painted Democrats as responsible for the impasse.
“The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government,” reads a pop-up that greets visitors to the website of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. “HUD will use available resources to help Americans in need.”
Surveys conducted last week, however, appeared to show that more voters blamed the GOP for the shutdown.
Most TSA employees and air traffic controllers, meanwhile, are working without pay until Congress can agree on a plan to fund the federal government. Earlier this week, aviation analytics firm Cirium estimated that about 92% of the more than 23,600 flights departing from U.S. airports as of Tuesday afternoon took off on time, but several major airports were experiencing delays on Wednesday.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday that there had already been an uptick in air traffic controllers calling out sick at a few locations, too.
Travel industry analyst Jenry Harteveldt told the Associated Press he was “gravely concerned” that a prolonged shutdown would impact (and “possibly ruin”) travel plans through the Thanksgiving holiday.
The risk is “growing by the day,” Harteveldt told the AP.
Nexstar’s Alix Martichoux and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
