The video\u00a0puts Orlando airport officials in a difficult position. The airport\u2019s governing board<\/a> is dominated by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis\u2019 appointees, but the city it serves is one of Florida\u2019s Democratic strongholds.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are reviewing the request from the Transportation Security Administration and reviewing our existing policies,\u201d said Angela Starke, a spokeswoman for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, which oversees the Orlando International Airport.<\/p>\n The aviation authority\u2019s board met Wednesday, but Noem\u2019s video did not come up. The seven-member board is made up of five DeSantis appointees and two Democrats \u2014 Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings.<\/p>\n Dyer and Demings declined to jump into the controversy. Their offices referred questions to airport officials. Stephanie Kopelousos, the aviation board chairwoman, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Thursday.<\/p>\n Major airports across the country have refused to show the video on monitors at security checkpoints, saying its political content violates their policies and regulations prohibiting partisan messaging. Some legal scholars say the video also violates the 1939 Hatch Act, which restricts political activities by federal employees.<\/p>\n In Florida, airports in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa aren\u2019t showing the video, according to media reports. Of the nation\u2019s 25 busiest airports, Orlando is one of just three that hasn\u2019t explicitly ruled out airing video, according to Public Citizen, a progressive consumer rights advocacy group, which on Thursday called on airport officials in Orlando, Houston and Detroit to stand with their peers.<\/p>\n \u201cThe overwhelming refusal by the nation\u2019s airports to air this partisan and illegal video is a welcome sign of civil servants performing their jobs with honor and defending basic democratic norms,\u201d said the organization\u2019s co-president Robert Weissman.<\/p>\n In the video rolled out on Friday<\/a>, which the White House initially said would play at every public airport in the country, Noem says TSA\u2019s \u201ctop priority\u201d is to ensure a pleasant and efficient airport experience while keeping passengers safe.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, 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,\u201d says Noem, who oversees the TSA.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Department of Homeland Security reinforced its position this week in a statement that noted so far security operations have been largely unaffected by the shutdown.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate our workforce has been put in this position due to political gamesmanship,\u201d said Tricia McLaughlin, an agency spokeswoman. \u201cOur hope is that Democrats will soon recognize the importance of opening the government.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Orlando](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/TOS-L-shutdown-florida-1002-1.jpg\")
Orlando International Airport passengers make their way through TSA security screening before heading to the terminal on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. (Rich Pope\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n