Detroit Metropolitan Airport wants you to know that it’s not happy that it is unable to stop the TSA from playing a public service announcement that veers heavily into partisan politics.
A growing list of airports across the United States have already banned the video, while others have found inventive excuses to stop the PSA from being shown, but that’s not the case in Detroit.
Unlike some airports, Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) does not own or control the monitors placed at the TSA checkpoint area, so it’s powerless to stop the video from being played.
The Wayne County Airport Authority, which controls DTW, has formally requested that the Department of Homeland Security stop playing the video, and, in the meantime, the airport is going out of its way to make passengers aware of its objections.
New bright yellow sandwich boards have appeared at the entrance to TSA checkpoints at Detroit Metropolitan, emblazoned with the word ‘ATTENTION’ to grab the attention of passengers.
The text on the boards then reads:
“The views expressed in this TSA-controlled video do not represent the views of the Wayne County Airport Authority. The Wayne County Airport Authority does not engage in partisan politics. Thank you.”
The short 36-second video features DHS Secretary Kristi Noem blasting the Democrats on two occasions and blaming them for the current federal government shutdown.
The shutdown means that 50,000 Transportation Security Officers across the country, along with many other federal workers, are working without pay until federal funding is restored.
Many airports have refused to play the video because they believe it could breach the Hatch Act – a law that dates back to 1939, which was introduced to prevent government officials from using their positions to engage in partisan politics during official duties.
A key line in the video is Noem claiming that “Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government.”
So far, at least, the shutdown hasn’t caused too much disruption at TSA airport checkpoints, but as the situation drags on, travelers are being warned to expect increasing delays due to the threat of staff shortages.
Noem has not commented on the controversy surrounding her PSA video, instead concentrating much of her attention in recent days on ICE operations.
“The views expressed in this TSA-controlled video do not represent the views of the Wayne County Airport Authority. The Wayne County Airport Authority does not engage in partisan politics. Thank you.”
Says an airport authority who has named both terminals after living Wayne County politicians. They are choosing not to “engage in partisan politics” because these are not the right politics in solid blue Wayne County Michigan.
Sounds like you’d prefer they put up signs at check in and gates blaming Republicans? Rather than “lying” about them not being partisan?
Surely you wouldn’t say that rights to speech can only go one way now.