Juneau’s airport not showing Noem video blaming Democrats for shutdown, but some other Alaska airports likely will
- Mark Sabbatini
- Oct 16
- 2 min read
Manager says CBJ-owned airport hasn’t been asked by TSA to show video, legal staff believe it would be illegal under Hatch Act
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
A traveler getting on a plane at Juneau International Airport won’t see a Trump administration video blaming Democrats for the federal government shutdown, but may well see it if passing through the airports in Anchorage or Fairbanks.
The video is part of a series of blatantly political attacks by Trump officials in official government communications, including websites and automated email replies. The airport video intended to be shown at security checkpoints features U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem declaring "Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government" and travel may thus be affected.
Republicans have majorities in both the U.S. House and Senate, and could end the shutdown that started Oct. 1 if GOP senators opted to eliminate the filibuster that sets a 60-vote minimum to pass many items — although analysts say it’s a risky tactic that could backfire if Democrats regain a majority in the future. Democrats in Congress are demanding subsidies for health care coverage be extended before they will vote to end the shutdown.
Many airports across the country are refusing to show the ad, citing federal law and longstanding policies regarding the airing of partisan political content. But the Alaska Beacon reported Wednesday the video is expected to be shown at airports in Anchorage and Fairbanks, plus possibly others in the state, due to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities authorizing its use in the more than 230 airports DOT owns and operates statewide.
Shannon McCarthy, a DOT spokesperson, told the Beacon that TSA has requested permission to air the ad at the Fairbanks and Anchorage airports, but not others operated by the state. She said the airports in smaller communities “don’t own screens that would be used for this type of content,” although TSA does have the authority to show the video within spaces it leases if it chooses to do so.
Alaska’s Executive Branch Ethics Act prohibits the use of “state funds, facilities, equipment … for partisan political purposes,” but transportation officials said they don’t believe the ethics law applies in this case, according to the Beacon.
However, Juneau’s municipal government owns and operates the capital city’s airport, and Airport Manager Andres Delgado told the Juneau Independent on Thursday morning no official decision on showing the video has been made since TSA has not made a request to do so. However, he said he has been told by legal counsel that showing the video would likely violate the Hatch Act, which requires employees to administer federal programs in a nonpartisan manner.
"Our official stance is that we're focused on the safety of passengers and aircraft going through the terminal," he said. "We would rather stick to a politically neutral viewpoint for the sake of everyone out there."
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
