A few days ago, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it would shut down TSA PreCheck and Global Entry effective immediately, due to the partial government shutdown. Now, you’ll have to explain to me how making average screening times longer helps address a potential staffing shortage, but that’s neither here nor there.
Hours later, the government partially reversed course, reopening TSA PreCheck, but keeping Global Entry closed. Many of us wondered what on earth was going on that would lead to such an illogical policy in the first place, and then what caused the reversal. We now have a bit more of an understanding of what’s going on…
In this post:
Kristi Noem was the mastermind behind this plan?
When it was revealed that TSA PreCheck and Global Entry would be shut down, many of us wondered who was actually behind this policy, and what their motive was. Was this actually Trump’s idea, or did someone else come up with the idea? And if someone else did come up with it, did it get Trump’s approval prior to being implemented, or what?
The Washington Post now reports on what reportedly caused this whole mess. According to a White House official and person close to the Trump administration, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and her adviser, Corey Landowski, came up with the idea.
They apparently tried to push this through without consulting top White House officials, only to see the policy reversed hours later, with intervention from senior Trump officials. Reports suggest that Noem was hoping to be a more central figure in this shutdown, kind of like how Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was a pretty big figure in the last one.
Air travel always tends to play a central role during shutdowns, given that it’s one of the areas where lack of government funding can most directly impact the average person. So it seems that Noem felt the best way to insert herself into all of this was to create some arbitrary rules around security that get attention.
Noem has been posting on social media about the shutdown, including interviews with TSA agents, thanking them for their service “as Democrats continue to withhold their paychecks.”
Still, none of this makes any sense… at all!
I understand the concept of wanting attention, and of wanting to create restrictions that make the other party look bad, or something. But I just don’t understand how anyone can argue that shutting down TSA PreCheck or Global Entry is a good solution when you have a staffing shortage.
Okay, it’s great that TSA PreCheck is open once again, but can someone — anyone — explain why Global Entry is still largely closed? There’s zero argument to be made that cutting Global Entry is a solution to a staffing shortage. So I guess I’m relieved that Trump intervened to reopen TSA PreCheck, but why hasn’t the same been done for Global Entry?
I still find the whole narrative to be beyond bizarre, with a DHS spokesperson saying the following:
“We decided to handle TSA PreCheck on an airport-by-airport basis depending on workforce and resource strain instead of a blanket policy. If the government stays shutdown, we will be forced to implement these emergency measures nationwide to mitigate resource and workforce strain. This political game by the Democrats is putting strain on our TSA workers who are working without pay.”
So basically “on an airport-by-airport basis we’ll choose to make screening times longer, with zero logic?”
Interestingly, the only real argument I’ve seen people make in support of this is “well blame the Democrats, because this puts pressure on them, and they’re responsible for the shutdown.” Again, that doesn’t explain the reason for this policy, which adds friction, rather than taking it away. Explain to me how this policy makes more sense than requiring all Post Office patrons to do 20 jumping jacks before entering, while blaming the shutdown?
Bottom line
Reports suggest that Kristi Noem was the mastermind of the TSA PreCheck and Global Entry suspensions, and there was a lack of consultation with other White House officials, based on how quickly the policy was reversed. While it’s good that the TSA PreCheck suspension has been reversed, there continues to be zero logic for shutting down Global Entry, yet that policy is still in place.
What do you make of this explanation for the TSA PreCheck shutdown and reversal?
Why can't Ben just call balls and strikes. This is just political theater bullshit and Noem is an idiot. Also, Corey isn't Noem's adviser, he's Noem's mistress.
in the third reich, this phenomenon was known as "working toward the fuhrer"; you were expected to take initiative and act aggressively in a manner that you think the dictator would want, both so that autocratic consolidation happens at a faster pace than it would if everything had to be centrally-directed, and because when something went wrong, the dictator could disclaim responsibility and string you out to dry.
I just came through LAX last night, and GE was closed, but everything was still extremely fast. I think the staff on the ground were being clever, and pretty much everybody was waved through after a picture and facial recognition at the kiosk. I’m not sure if this is standard now for non-GE, but it sure functioned like “GE for everybody”
It’s literally on the Democrats. The funding is right there in the bill to fund these services. But I guess granting illegals rights to American taxpayer paid medical care and benefits is more important.
Just can’t make this up.
Quite a partisan view you have their Dave.
@Dave, no you can AND you absolutely did made $hit up. Even though this'll be a futile attempt, sometimes, I can't help my self.
Here's what the democrats are primarily asking for - bans on face masks by ICE agents, every agent must wear body cameras, agents must carry identification, and judicial warrants to enter private properties and homes and few others. Would you mind articulating why each of these 4 requests are wrong?
Now,...
@Dave, no you can AND you absolutely did made $hit up. Even though this'll be a futile attempt, sometimes, I can't help my self.
Here's what the democrats are primarily asking for - bans on face masks by ICE agents, every agent must wear body cameras, agents must carry identification, and judicial warrants to enter private properties and homes and few others. Would you mind articulating why each of these 4 requests are wrong?
Now, would you please educate me with a credible source that says democrats want to give illegals rights to medical care and benefits paid for by tax payers?
@Dave, you absolutely can and you just did. Even though, this'll be a futile attempt, I just can't stop myself.
Here's what dems are primarily asking for - more accountability from ICE agents like ban on masks, mandatory body cameras, must carry ids, can't enter private property/home without a judicial warrant. Then no immigration enforcement near schools, churches, hospitals, courthouses etc and ban on roving patrols. Now, which of these would be an issue for...
@Dave, you absolutely can and you just did. Even though, this'll be a futile attempt, I just can't stop myself.
Here's what dems are primarily asking for - more accountability from ICE agents like ban on masks, mandatory body cameras, must carry ids, can't enter private property/home without a judicial warrant. Then no immigration enforcement near schools, churches, hospitals, courthouses etc and ban on roving patrols. Now, which of these would be an issue for you?
Also, can you please point me to a credible publication that says democrats had this shutdown because they want American taxpayers to pay for medical care and other benefits for illegals?
Most people understand "TSA" means security - even Trump. But "Global Entry" sounds like letting everyone in, going soft on immigration. For the travel illiterate, there likely seems a wide gap between the two.
We need to blame the people who voted for this stupidity. Like the dumbest cabinet in the history of America appointed by an his administration. Luckily they got 2 guys who kind of know what they are doing in Rubio/Bessent … but my god the rest of these guys are….
These are paid program not entitlements - they should not be subject to a shut down at all
SENTRI still works. No issues at the San Ysidro border last night.
the whole world is laughing on the us. patel, noem, trump, kennedy are all such a disgrace
If the 737MAX is rockin, don't come a knockin'.
Clearly
Under
Negative
Thinking
Sycophants do things that make their boss happy. They also, willingly or not, take the blame when things go wrong.
This what happens when you put people in charge who are dumb as a box of hammers, and are instead focused on social media content and being as vengeful and spiteful as humanly possible. I miss the days of competent people running our government.
She's never impressed me. Too much makeup and not much substance.
Ive got GE but MPC is faster at my home airport and thats what i used the last few trips. Im just glad 95% of the public and honestly most global entry folks dont know about it.
She needs to reopen Global Entry now.
Kristi Noem will eventually be forced to step down in order to spend more time with her dogs.
Spend time with the dogs before she shoots them.
Her photo ops of her holding guns shows she may not actually know how to properly handle a firearm. Leading some to speculate that she had someone else shoot the dogs for her. So it's not only sad, but it's pathetic.
and Corey
There's a high correlation between passport ownership and voting Democratic. I can't find any demographic data on Global Entry membership, but I imagine it skews Democratic as well. So I put this in the same column as pulling back infrastructure spending from blue states.
Also high correlation between MAGA and the incel community
Anyone want to predict which airports are going to "randomly" see service reduced? I'm thinking SFO, LAX, JFK, MSP, BOS, DTW, SEA, ORD.
I bet MIA, MCO, DFW, SLC won't be touched.
I can guess what airport-by-airport means. JFK, BOS, ORD, SFO, LAX, SEA: Closed. MIA, MCO, ATL, IAH, DFW: Open
If GE is still shut down when I need it, can they get me a partial refund of the fee during the time it's not in effect?
Man are you a political neophyte or what? Blaming an already unpopular member of the administration the White House wants to get rid of whole shielding the boss is an old game. And even a naive person should be able to understand to take anything THIS White House says with a very large graib of salt
Freudian typo on that paragraph header.
Kristi Noem and mastermind? No I fear that defies logic.
Please note that per the WSJ, Corey is not her advisor, he's her lover. They are both married to others.
So in addition to being incompetent she’s an adulteress?
The bus was approaching and someone urgently needed to be thrown under it
I'm never going to listen to the "government can't do anything right" crew, bunch of wreckers and incompetents that they are.
Not sure if "Good Tsar bad boyar"-washing or DHS Barbie trying to own the libs to stay relevant to her boss. Either one is bad.
I am returning to the country tomorrow through Miami and I hope GE will be open, but I know it probably won’t be. I’ve downloaded that MPC app so I can get through quicker but the timing sucks. And I think using government employee paychecks as bargaining chips is as about as low as either party can go. If you can’t pay any government employees than you should forfeit your salary as a lawmaker. I...
I am returning to the country tomorrow through Miami and I hope GE will be open, but I know it probably won’t be. I’ve downloaded that MPC app so I can get through quicker but the timing sucks. And I think using government employee paychecks as bargaining chips is as about as low as either party can go. If you can’t pay any government employees than you should forfeit your salary as a lawmaker. I don’t car which party. Figure it out and leave the employees and American public out of your squabbles.
Tried the same thing arriving back int'l at CLT on Sunday, but in addition to the GE machines all having big red X's on their screen and being roped off staff was informing everyone they weren't doing MPC either.
Luckily regular line was flying and we were through in 3-5 mins. Anecdotal experience but feel like we got lucky.
This isn't a government that is operating in good faith, or to serve the public, and it's really not any more complicated than that.
She should go back to shooting dogs in the face. At least she was mildly effective at that albeit equally unpopular and horrific