Blue Grass Airport in Lexington is one of more than a dozen airports across the country declining to air a video of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Amy Caudill, a spokesperson for the Lexington airport, told Kentucky Public Radio they are not playing the new video “in accordance with our policy not to display content of a political nature.”
She added that the airport is continuing to play a different video of Noem about passenger safety that was created at the beginning of her term earlier this year.
Natalie Chaudoin, a spokesperson for the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, said in an email they are also not playing the new video of Noem, but did not explain why.
According to The New York Times, more than a dozen airports across the county — including in Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Portland — had refused to air the video as of Tuesday afternoon due to being overly partisan.
Airports were first asked to play the 36-second video from Noem last week, which blames Democrats for any travel disruptions that may result from the shutdown, which started at the beginning of October.
“It is TSA’s top priority to make sure that you have the most pleasant and efficient airport experience as possible while we keep you safe,” says Noem in the video. “However, 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.”
Spokespeople for the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in Hebron did not immediately return a request for comment on whether they were showing the new video.
