Wichita airport will not show Kristi Noem video that blames Democrats for shutdown

Wichita’s Dwight D. Eisenhower Airport will not play a video of U.S. Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the federal government shutdown.

“While we deeply value and support our TSA partners and the vital role they play in ensuring the safety of our passengers, we will not be playing Secretary Noem’s latest video as we have policies that prohibit the display of political messages,” ICT Airport Director Jesse Romo said in a statement to The Eagle.

Several other airports, including in Kansas City, are also refusing to play the video after the Transportation Security Administration approached them to play it.

In the video, Noem blames Democrats for the federal government shutdown, and warns of potential delays as many TSA employees are working without pay.

“Our hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government,” Noem said in the video statement.

As with Wichita’s, many airports cited the video’s political messaging as a reason to not display it.

The video also falls under a legal gray area on whether it violates federal law, according to legal experts that spoke with McClatchy News.

Port of Portland, which operates the Portland International Airport, cited the Hatch Act in its refusal to display the video.

However, the experts said the Hatch Act applies to federal employees trying to influence or affect the outcome of an election.

Experts did tell McClatchy News that the video could be a violation of appropriations law that states that congressionally appropriated funds cannot be spent to lobby or sway government decisions without explicit congressional approval.

“This probably violates the statutory prohibition on use of appropriated agency funds to influence Congress,” University of Minnesota Law School Professor Richard Painter said to McClatchy News.

The government has been shut down since Oct. 1. TSA employees and air traffic controllers have been working without pay since then, causing delays at some airports.

Last week, ICT reported no issues at the airport in spite of the ongoing shutdown. Wichita’s airport is not on the Federal Aviation Administration’s growing list of airports with staffing shortages.

“The TSA team at ICT does an amazing job with providing a great customer experience for our traveling public and we’ll continue to share their messages related to what you can and can’t take through screening,” Romo said.

This story was originally published October 15, 2025 at 11:32 AM.