Hold onto your boarding passes, folks—major airports in Democrat-leaning cities are slamming the brakes on a video message from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, claiming it’s too political for TSA checkpoints, Newsmax reported.

Across the nation, seven key airports have refused to air Noem’s video, which pins the ongoing federal government shutdown on congressional Democrats, while travel chaos mounts with thousands of TSA workers unpaid as the shutdown drags into its second week.

This standoff kicked off when officials at airports in Buffalo, Charlotte, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle, and Portland, Oregon, decided the content of Noem’s message veered too far into partisan territory.

Airports Cite Legal Concerns Over Video

Molly Prescott, spokesperson for the Port of Portland, didn’t hold back on why they’re rejecting the video.

“We believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes and messaging,” Prescott said, pointing to the 1939 federal law designed to keep government operations nonpartisan.

While the Hatch Act’s goal of neutrality is fair, one can’t help but question if this is truly about legalities or just dodging a narrative that challenges the progressive grip on these cities.

Noem’s Message Sparks Political Firestorm

In her video, typically shown at TSA checkpoints to inform travelers about safety protocols, Noem pivots to the shutdown’s toll.

“However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted,” Noem stated, laying the blame squarely on one political faction.

That’s a gutsy statement in today’s hyper-sensitive climate, but isn’t it also a needed spotlight on who’s holding up the funds while federal workers go unpaid?

Travel Disruptions Pile Up Nationwide

As the shutdown nears the end of its second week, the fallout is hitting U.S. airports hard with staffing shortages causing major headaches.

On Sunday alone, nearly 8,000 flights within, into, or out of the country were delayed, and 271 got the axe entirely, stranding countless passengers.

By early Monday afternoon, the chaos continued with over 3,900 more delays and 475 cancellations reported, signaling no quick end to this mess.

Shutdown’s Human Toll on TSA Workers

Behind these grim numbers are thousands of TSA agents and other federal employees clocking in every day without a dime, a sacrifice that’s equal parts noble and tragic.

While Noem’s video sought to underscore this struggle and push for a resolution, its ban from these airports begs the question—are travelers being kept in the dark about the shutdown’s true stakes?

Perhaps it’s time for these airports to reconsider whether shielding passengers from one side of the story is really serving the public, or just serving a political agenda under the guise of neutrality.