DFW Airport and Dallas Love Field won’t play video from Kristi Noem
Both Dallas Fort Worth Airport and Dallas Love Field will not air a video from United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that blames the Democrats for the current government shutdown.
“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 says in the video. “And our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.”
Earlier this month, the Trump Administration released this video to be played at TSA security checkpoints at airports across the country. DFW and Dallas Love Field airports confirmed to the Star-Telegram via emailed statements that they will not play this video because it contradicts their policies.
DFW’s policy does not allow any advertising that promotes political, social or religious messages. Dallas Love Field has the same policy, as well as a permit request process for screen displays in the airport’s terminals. A spokesperson for Love Field told the Star-Telegram the Trump Administration never sent a request for Noem’s message to air on their displays.
Other airports in Arizona, North Carolina and Oregon have also refused to play Noem’s message.
What transportation authorities say
Transportation authorities believe that Noem’s message may violate the 1939 Hatch Act.
This law explains that federal employees and federally-funded programs (like TSA checkpoints) must operate in a non-partisan way.
It is normal for airports to display videos from the Department of Homeland Security. However, they are typically about safety and transportation, not partisan messages.
The bigger picture
We are now in the third week of the government shutdown that began on Oct. 1, and TSA workers are starting to get “sick and tired.”
A North Texas TSA union leader told the Star-Telegram that workers are not getting paid their full paychecks.
“They’re [TSA employees] taking it on the chin, doing the best they can to stave off any other problems,” said Johnny Jones, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1040 that represents North Texas TSA employees.
According to FlightAware’s live data, there have been 1,349 flight delays and 22 cancellations within, into, or out of the U.S. as of Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 11 a.m.
AP News reported that air traffic controllers in Boston, Chicago, Nashville and Philadelphia are struggling from staffing issues. DFW and Dallas Love Field have luckily been operating as normal.
This story was originally published October 15, 2025 at 12:40 PM.