Homeland Security video blames Democrats for shutdown. Will SLO airport show it?
The San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport will not display a video by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that blames Democrats for the federal government shutdown, joining many other airports across the country that have opted to block the message due to its political nature and potential violation of federal law.
Transportation Security Administration — or TSA — workers are one of the few federal employee groups deemed essential and kept on without pay during the government shutdown.
In the video, first reported by Fox News, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem warned of potential airport delays and impacts during the shutdown, specifically blaming the Democratic Party.
“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,” Noem said in the video. “ ... Our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.”
The federal government shut down two weeks ago when the GOP-backed budget bill failed in Congress, with many Democratic lawmakers still pushing for an expansion of health care subsidies that are otherwise set to expire at the end of the year.
Multiple federal agencies including the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Agriculture have displayed similar messaging on their websites throughout the shutdown.
SLO County Deputy Director of Airports Courtney Pene decided against showing the video at the airport due to concerns that it could violate state and federal laws prohibiting the use of public assets for political purposes and messaging.
“(The airport) did not consent to playing the video in its current form, as we believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes and messaging,” Pene told The Tribune in a statement.
The Hatch Act protects federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity.
Pene said the airport is not experiencing any interruptions in service and no further informational videos are being displayed, Pene said.
The SLO County airport joins multiple other major international airports across the country — including in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte and New York — in rejecting the messaging.
This story was originally published October 14, 2025 at 12:45 PM.
