Trump tells unpaid TSA workers to clock in anyway: 'I promise that I will never forget you'

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump wants airport security officers to somehow power through Washington’s latest budget brawl.

With the Department of Homeland Security shutdown and thousands of Transportation Security Administration employees missing paychecks, the president urged agents to keep showing up for duty even if the money isn’t arriving yet.

The shutdown began last month after lawmakers failed to hammer out a deal to fund the agency. The standoff hit home for TSA workers this week when many of them missed their first full paycheck. Meanwhile, frustrated travelers have reported hours-long security lines at airports across the country amid staffing shortages.

Still, Trump is applauding those who continue to report for work.

Trump urges TSA agents to report to work despite missing paychecks

The president took to Truth Social on Saturday, March 14, to thank TSA officers who are still showing up at airports despite not being paid during the ongoing shutdown.

Trump singled out Johnny Jones, the secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100, a union representing thousands of TSA employees nationwide. Jones is also reportedly a TSA officer at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

“Thank you to Johnny Jones and all of our GREAT TSA Agents who are going to work but not being paid because the Radical Left Democrats refuse to honor the deal that was approved and voted on in Congress,” Trump wrote in the early morning post.

He then took aim at Democrats, accusing them of diverting funds elsewhere.

“They want your money to go to ‘Border Criminals, Murderers, foreign Dr*g Dealers, and some of the worst people on earth,’” he continued. “They don’t want it to go to you. Keep fighting for the USA. GO TO WORK! I promise that I will never forget you!!! President DJT.”

Union leader warns of financial strain among TSA employees

Notably, Jones has been outspoken about the financial pressure the shutdown is putting on airport security staff.

In a statement shared with the Independent, he welcomed the President’s support but stressed the urgent need to end the shutdown so workers can receive the money they’ve already earned. “I appreciate the president’s support and attention, and hope he can help get this shutdown resolved quickly so our members can get the paychecks they’ve earned,” Jones said.

The reality on the ground is bleak, he says.

Speaking with NPR this week, Jones explained that many TSA employees live paycheck to paycheck and that the missing payments are already taking a toll. He said many workers are now “not paying their bills because they don’t have any money.”

The strain is visible in the workplace as well. Jones told CNN that he’s “seeing desperation in the eyes of my coworkers.”

“A lot of people don’t have that [stability]. They never recover,” he said. “They don’t have the levers to pull to help them weather the storm, I’m afraid.”

The funding lapse dates back to mid-February, just months after federal employees endured the longest government shutdown in US history.

Senate leaders trade blame as shutdown drags on

As the standoff continues, both parties are pointing fingers over who’s responsible for the impasse.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer argued that Democrats have repeatedly attempted to pass targeted funding bills to keep key DHS operations running (including TSA) while negotiations continue.

“Democrats have tried—six separate times—to pass simple bills to keep these critical parts of DHS running while negotiations continue. Six times Republicans came to the floor and blocked them,” Schumer said Thursday.

He warned that federal workers and public safety officials shouldn’t be caught in the crossfire. “TSA officers shouldn’t miss paychecks, disaster relief shouldn’t be left hanging, and Americans’ safety shouldn’t be collateral damage in a political standoff Republicans created,” he added.

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune tells a very different story. He said on Tuesday that Democrats themselves are "opposing even sitting down and talking and negotiating on the things they say they want.”

“It’s hard to get to a solution when you have one party that refuses to even sit down and talk. This is kind of a new low, really,” the Republican added. 

In a statement released on Wednesday, the White House accused Democrats of showing little concern for the fallout of the shutdown.

According to the administration, Democrats are “at peace with the hardships their political shutdown has created” for TSA agents.