Long Beach Airport Declines to Display Trump Administration Video

Long Beach Airport has refused to broadcast a politically charged video featuring Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that blames Democrats for the ongoing federal government shutdown, city officials confirmed Wednesday.

The airport joined numerous other major air travel hubs across the country in declining to show the video at its security checkpoints, citing legal concerns about its overtly partisan content.

“The City of Long Beach reviewed the request and determined that the video, due to its political content, would violate California law, the federal Hatch Act, and may infringe on First Amendment protections,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement.

Richardson emphasized that the DHS request was not a mandate or security directive, allowing the city to make its own determination. Airports in Atlanta, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Las Vegas, New Jersey, Phoenix, Portland, and Seattle have made similar decisions to reject the video.

In the contested footage, Secretary Noem directly accuses Democrats of causing the 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 states in the video. “We will continue to do all that we can to avoid delays that will impact your travel and our hope is that Democrats will soon realize the importance of opening the government.”

Legal experts point to clear violations of the Hatch Act, a 1939 law that restricts partisan political activities of federal executive branch employees. The law prevents officials from using their authority or government resources to influence election outcomes or advocate for or against a political party.

“Noem is blatantly using her position to spread a partisan political message,” according to Penn State Dickson Law Professor Stanley Brand, who spoke to NPR about the controversy.

The video represents just one aspect of the Trump administration’s broader messaging campaign regarding the shutdown. Multiple federal government websites now display identical political language, blaming the impasse on “radical left Democrats.”

Kathleen Clark, a law professor at Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, characterized these actions as “a full court press campaign to violate the Hatch Act, intentionally and openly, to defy the statute and regulations, to demonstrate that the Trump administration is above the law.”

The political standoff continues despite Republicans controlling both houses of Congress and the White House. At the center of the dispute are Democratic efforts to extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies and reverse Medicaid cuts included in what Trump has called his “Big Beautiful Bill.” Republicans claim these demands would provide healthcare to undocumented immigrants, though such individuals have never been eligible for Medicaid and their inclusion is not part of the Democratic proposal.

While the shutdown has caused travel disruptions in some regions of the country, Long Beach Airport operations remain unaffected for now.

“Long Beach Airport continues to operate smoothly with no disruptions to flights or passenger services,” airport spokesperson Lindsey Phillips-Flores said. “While there are no delays or impacts at this time, operations could become more challenging if the shutdown continues.”

Mayor Richardson emphasized the contrast between federal and local responses to the crisis: “While Washington shuts down, Long Beach is stepping up — keeping services running, protecting our residents, and supporting our workers. What we need from our federal government right now is cooperation, not more division.”

The decision by Long Beach and other airports highlights growing concerns about the politicization of federal agencies during the shutdown. As essential workers like TSA agents continue their duties without pay, the administration’s focus on partisan messaging rather than resolution has drawn criticism from government ethics watchdogs and local officials alike.

Aviation industry experts warn that prolonged funding uncertainty could eventually impact everything from security screening efficiency to air traffic control operations, potentially causing widespread travel disruptions if a solution isn’t reached soon.