Since February 14, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been largely shut down after funding lapsed because Democrats demanded changes to President Trump’s deportation policies, leaving government workers such as TSA agents to work without pay and turn to food banks.
A Media Research Center study found that, since the start of the DHS shutdown, only eight percent – or 125 seconds – of the 26 minutes and 22 seconds on the shutdown across the flagship evening newscasts of ABC, CBS, and NBC have brought up the fact that the long lines at airports are because of the left’s obstructionism.
MRC analysts examined every mention of the DHS shutdowns and its effects (mainly at America’s airports) by journalists, starting on February 14 on ABC’s World News Tonight, the CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News and tallied both the total coverage and allusions to Democratic demands to reopen DHS.
All told, only nine days out of 30 mentioned Democrats and the shutdown. Watch the video below to see all of them:
In the month since it began, they have only spent just over 26 minutes acknowledging the shutdown and its ripple effects, most notably at airports with long security lines as TSA agents have now gone a month without pay.
Here are all ten Democrat mentions, tallying 125 seconds pic.twitter.com/hjep15QOnm
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) March 16, 2026
Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) – the agency at the center of the left’s ire following Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis – is funded through fiscal year 2029 and thus unaffected by the shutdown.
NBC represented the smallest percentage acknowledging the role of Democrats at a remarkable three percent of its coverage (or 13 seconds out of six minutes and 59 seconds).
NBC didn’t tie Democrats to the shutdown until the March 11 Nightly News when senior correspondent Tom Costello relayed in a five-second allusion to hours-long security lines “as Democrats say they’re open to funding TSA, but are demanding ICE policing reforms.”
But on March 13, Costello spent 88 seconds on TSA workers, but not one mention of Democrats or even immigration policies. Instead, all viewers heard was this claim that “[t]onight, the airlines are calling it ‘a disgrace that Congress cannot reach an agreement or act on viable bipartisan solutions.’”
“Solutions” to what? Why is it “a disgrace that Congress” hasn’t acted? Costello wouldn’t say.
On Friday, ‘NBC Nightly News’ had 88 seconds in this longer piece on the long TSA lines and workers turning to food banks to put food on the table (if they haven’t quit) amid the DHS shutdown, but not a single mention of Democrats and ICE
Tom Costello offered this vague… pic.twitter.com/8CVRXXZCXt
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) March 16, 2026
In second place was ABC’s World News Tonight clocking in with nine percent (44 seconds) of its eight and a half minutes on the shutdown and its effects (8:27).
On February 14, Saturday anchor Whit Johnson said “Democrats are demanding reform for immigration enforcement” and was followed by senior White House correspondent Selina Wang saying “Democrats [are] refusing to fund the agency unless Republicans agree to major changes to immigration enforcement.”
She added those demands include “requiring agents to wear body cameras, banning from them wearing masks, and mandating they obtain warrants signed by a judge before making arrests.”
Separately, chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce boasted on February 24 that “Democrats [are] refusing to fund the Department of Homeland Security until Trump reforms his immigration enforcement tactics,” alluding to Democrats refusing to fund the government, but putting the onus on the President to acquiesce. This marked the last time World News Tonight has uttered the word “Democrats” in regards to the shutdown.
On six different occasions, World News Tonight covered aspects of the shutdown, but never even explained why it was happening.
Take this March 7 report from transportation correspondent Gio Benitez:
From last week, this March 9 report on ABC’s ‘World News Tonight’ was remarkable. Roughly 90-second segment on travel chaos and long TSA lines as workers remain without a paycheck since early last month.
But not one mention by David Muir or correspondent Gio Benitez about *why*… pic.twitter.com/Lij9Diuy5i
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) March 16, 2026
CBS wasn’t much better on the stopwatch with ten percent of its shutdown tally – or 68 seconds out of roughly 11 minutes (10:56) – and all five mentions name-checking Democrats appearing on a weekend.
“Democrats sticking with their demands including a ban on face masks for immigration agents, a requirement for officers to show ID, and wear body cameras,” correspondent Willie James Iman said on February 14. This became a variation of the excuse he would offer on February 15 and 22.
About half of CBS’s mentions of Democrats came this past weekend in stories by reporter Tom McNicholas (click “expand”):
MCNICHOLAS [on 03/14/26]: Democrats have refused to approve the Department of Homeland Security’s budget unless GOP lawmakers and the White House agree to changes to ICE, including requirements for agents to wear IDs and remove their masks. Yesterday, DHS began playing this video in airports blaming ‘the ongoing Democrat shutdown of the TSA’ for longer than average wait times.
(….)
MCNICHOLAS [n 03/15/26]: President Trump blames the funding lapse on Democrats, who refuse to approve the Department of Homeland Security’s budget unless GOP lawmakers and the White House agree to changes to ICE, including requirements for agents to wear IDs and remove their masks.
DHS – whose responsibilities also include the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), cybersecurity (CISA), and responding to natural disasters (FEMA) – has been left in limbo at a time when the country has suffered four Islamic terror attacks in two weeks and millions are traveling for spring break.
Last week, all Senate Democrats – with the exception of Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman – blocked three separate votes to fund DHS. None of those failed votes have been mentioned on the network evening newscasts.
If Republicans had held up funding for a cabinet department at time when its relevant agencies were under the national microscope, these networks would certainly ensure viewers knew on a night in and night out basis.
