Will Republican shutdown video blaming Democrats play at Boise Airport?
Partisan finger-pointing from President Donald Trump’s administration could be arriving soon at the Boise Airport.
A video of U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that blames congressional Democrats for shutting down the federal government has been splashed onto airport screens across the country. U.S. airport security checkpoints, overseen by the Transportation Security Administration, fall under the Department of Homeland Security.
The campaign from the Republican administration follows similar messaging that appeared on federal websites earlier this month when the two sides in Washington, D.C., failed to reach an agreement to continue funding federal agencies. An Idaho candidate for U.S. Senate filed a formal complaint that the messages violated federal law after the online banners started appearing on the U.S. Forest Service website.
Several airports already stated they won’t show the video, including in Washington state, according to news reports. The Boise Airport has not received a request to play the video on its city-owned monitors in the terminal, spokesperson Jennifer Kronberg told the Idaho Statesman, but its advertising policies restrict political content and would not allow it.
TSA also operates a single screen within Boise’s security checkpoint, she said. But that monitor is not currently working, so the video isn’t being shown while TSA looks into the matter, Kronberg said. The video was seen playing at the Boise Airport on Friday, KTVB reported with recorded evidence.
“If the video has played at the airport, it was on a monitor owned and operated by the TSA,” Kronberg said.
TSA did not respond to a request for more information Tuesday.
In the video, posted online by Fox News and other news outlets, Noem tells viewers that TSA’s top priority is to keep the traveling public safe while providing a smooth and efficient experience passing through airport security screening. “However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted.”
The Hatch Act is designed to “maintain a federal workforce that is free from partisan political influence or coercion,” according to a U.S. government guide. Toward that end, the 1939 law limits government workers from some political activities, such as using government resources for purposes of endorsement.
National polling indicates that Americans more often blame Republicans — who hold the majority in both chambers of Congress and include Trump in the executive branch — than Democrats for the federal government shutdown, Politico reported. A recent CBS News poll showed that 39% of respondents felt responsibility landed with Trump and Republicans compared with 30% for Democrats. Of those surveyed, 31% said both parties were equally at fault.
Tuesday marks Day 14 of the federal government shutdown. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have been furloughed, and some having been laid off. TSA officers and air-traffic controllers are considered essential workers and expected to report to work without receiving a paycheck.
Nearly 5 million passengers traveled through the Boise Airport in 2024 to set an all-time annual high. Through August, the airport is tracking about 6% ahead of that total and well on pace to break last year’s record.
This story was originally published October 14, 2025 at 12:40 PM.
