#john berry

A lot of airports are refusing to play ICE Barbie's MAGA propaganda vid which blames Democrats for the government shutdown.

Travelers going through the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Detroit Metro Airport will come face-to-face with a video of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blaming Democrats for the shutdown of the federal government. The remarkable video that injects divisive politics into the mundane process of airport security has sparked controversy as many airports refuse to show it. The video raises questions about whether it can be legally played, if the Department of Homeland Security can require airports to show it, and what happens if airports refuse. Checkpoints often include videos featuring government officials welcoming travelers and explanations of procedures, but they usually do not contain political messages. CNN reached out to over 50 airports across the country varying in size; many refused to display the video on airport-owned monitors or noted they didn’t have the capabilities to show it to passengers. Some monitors at checkpoints are owned and controlled by the airports, while others belong to the TSA. As of Tuesday afternoon, Detroit Metro Airport and Bismarck Airport in North Dakota confirmed to CNN the video was playing on monitors in space controlled by the TSA.

Official propaganda has been a no-no for a long time in the US. This could spark a backlash.

Federal employees tend to distance themselves from politically charged messaging like what is seen in Noem’s video, said Keith Jeffries, vice president of K2 Security Screening Group and a former TSA federal security director at Los Angeles International Airport. [ ... ] Jeffries said it’s just not something these screeners are used to seeing at work. “You don’t talk negatively about any elected official, and of course, with the federal government, you’re not even allowed to mention what political affiliation you are,” he said. The partisan video may open the door for other federal workers to chime in, said John Berry, a lawyer who represents government employees. [ ... ] The video also “completely runs afoul of the Hatch Act,” Berry said, noting the 1939 law which prohibits government employees from taking part in certain political activates to ensure programs are administered in a non-partisan fashion.

Since when has the Trump administration worried about observing the law?

Chicago, under siege by Trump GesTACO, is not showing the vids at its airports. You won't see it at NYC area airports either.

O’Hare, Midway Among Airports Refusing to Play Kristi Noem Video That Blames Democrats for Government Shutdown