The White House snubs Elon Musk's offer to cover TSA salaries as airport miseries hit record levels

The White House has declined Elon Musk's offer to personally fund Transportation Security Administration worker salaries during the ongoing partial government shutdown, which has created unprecedented disruptions to airport security operations nationwide. Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, confirmed the decision to Fortune.

Musk presented his proposal publicly on March 21 through a post on X, stating his desire "to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country." The proposal garnered significant attention, accumulating over 91 million views.

"We greatly appreciate Elon's generous offer," Jackson stated in an email response to Fortune. "This would pose great legal challenges due to his involvement with federal government contracts."

Jackson further emphasized that the most expedient solution for ensuring TSA employee compensation would be for "Democrats to fund the Department of Homeland Security."

The airport security crisis continues to intensify. The Transportation Security Administration reported Wednesday that wait times have reached unprecedented levels in the agency's history, with some passengers experiencing delays exceeding four and a half hours at security checkpoints. Acting Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill informed a House Homeland Security Committee hearing that TSA has lost more than 480 transportation security officers since the funding gap commenced on February 14, marking approximately 40 days of disruption.

Several major airports have experienced significant staffing shortages, with 40% to 50% of officers absent on certain days, compelling the agency to reduce screening lane availability and limit operations. Atlanta, Houston, and New York have experienced particularly severe impacts. Social media documentation revealed extensive queues at LaGuardia Airport extending through terminals into baggage claim areas during early Wednesday morning hours.

The administration has deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to airports as additional support to address the operational strain, a decision that has prompted bipartisan congressional oversight. McNeill explained that ICE personnel are managing "non-specialized screening functions" such as travel document verification, while TSA officers concentrate on essential security responsibilities.

The political impasse in Washington persists. Senate Republicans rejected a Democratic proposal to resolve the partial shutdown, with Majority Leader John Thune characterizing it as a series of demands that include modifications to immigration enforcement operations. Democrats have advocated for reforms that would reduce ICE's operational scope following several violent incidents resulting in civilian casualties.

Representatives for Musk did not respond to requests for comment.