President Donald Trump has urged TSA agents to 'GO TO WORK' despite the ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has left many employees unpaid. The shutdown began last month after lawmakers failed to agree on funding, and TSA workers missed their first full paycheck this week, leading to reports of lengthy airport queues across the country.
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump thanked Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100, and praised TSA agents for working without pay. He blamed 'Radical Left Democrats' for the impasse, accusing them of prioritising funds for 'Border Criminals, Murderers, foreign Drug Dealers' over workers. 'Keep fighting for the USA. GO TO WORK! I promise that I will never forget you!!!' he wrote.
Jones, a TSA officer at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, expressed appreciation for Trump's support but urged a swift resolution. 'I hope he can help get this shutdown resolved quickly so our members can get the paychecks they've earned,' he said in a statement. He told NPR that many TSA employees live paycheck to paycheck and are now 'not paying their bills,' while describing 'desperation in the eyes of my coworkers' to CNN.
The DHS funding lapsed in mid-February, months after the longest government shutdown in US history. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of blocking six Democratic attempts to fund parts of DHS, including TSA. 'TSA officers shouldn't miss paychecks, disaster relief shouldn't be left hanging, and Americans' safety shouldn't be collateral damage,' he said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune countered that Democrats are 'opposing even sitting down and talking,' calling it 'a new low.' The White House also blamed Democrats, stating they are 'at peace with the hardships their political shutdown has created' for TSA agents.
