TSA lifted the requirement to remove shoes at security checkpoints. But they may not be done.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says she’s questioning the TSA liquid ban and “maybe the next big announcement” will be around the 100 millileter liquid limit in your quart-sized freedom baggie.
What’s fascinating here is that this is only thinkable in the Trump administration. For better and worse, the norms are just completely different. TSA had just told us late in the Biden administration that the liquid ban could go away in the 2040s because every airport first had to have their new scanners first and their procurement processes would have that done for 15 years. None of those considerations matter.
- The Trump DHS Secretary can float this, which would never have happened before
- In the past they never would have just riffed on changes that affect the full bureaucracy and all travelers
- And everything is a trial balloon, they are not actually held to it
So maybe this will happen, maybe it won’t. Here’s how to understand the dynamic.
Remember when a Trump-appointed federal district judge struck down the federal mask mandate, issuing a nationwide injunction? (Trump supporters no longer like nationwide injunctions because they’re… against him). The Biden administration talked up how they were going to appeal, but they didn’t do so on any kind of urgent basis or with gusto. They wanted the mask mandate to end, but didn’t want to be the ones to end it. This was perfect for them, because they could even attack a Trump judge over it!
The Biden administration didn’t end the mask mandate because doing so would have angered several elements of their base (from flight attendant unions to the public health establishment) but they didn’t want to run elections on it either. They were trapped, until a judge gave them an out.
This wasn’t unique to the Biden administration – it’s traditional politics, with coalitions locking politicians into marginal change and status quote.
But Trump isn’t tied to traditional ideas and can make changes that were previously unthinkable, and that indeed he shifts the Overton window just by speaking about them.
He isn’t a policy guy, and floats policy ideas that were unthinkable and re‑centers the debate. The mere act of Trump talking about ideas yanks the Overton window toward them and forces every other player to respond. He can hold multiple views in the same sentence. You can think many of them are crazy but that’s almost the point.
I think it was Peter Thiel a decade ago who first advised the mistake is taking Trump literally but not seriously, while his supporters do the opposite. His may be truly the first postmodern administration. For avoidance of doubt, describing what is different and why is not support. Regular readers know I am not shy about criticizing this administration. But ending the liquid ban would be good, and something that would have been taboo for a senior official to discuss in the past.
Well said. Let’s get rid of some of the ‘security theater’. Even if his reasoning is not sound (or there’s nor reasoning at all.) I can’t argue with the result if this change actually goes through.
*incoming* folks who want to dismantle all government *incoming* @Mike P, where you at?
I hate the Tangerine Tyrant, and I despise the dog-killing, silicone and botox-infused sycophant it appointed to “run” DHS. But this is one is actually a good idea. The liquid ban, especially in light of the more accurate screening machines, is an outdated idea. The only losers here will probably be HMS Host and Delaware North, who will sell fewer of their severely overpriced bottles of water to weary travelers.
In your meandering response, you didn’t even bother to discuss the argument for why the 100ml requirement is no longer needed, just a schizophrenic anti Trump diatribe. Is this how you say the Trump admin is correct in looking at such a change? Somehow I suspect this post would be gushing with praise if the autopen proposed this.
Make America great again by allowing bottled water. The sip test to make sure it’s not gasoline may be sufficient.
Nobody should be able to claim that make, America, great, or again are words that can only be used by Donaldtrump’s supporters.
Well said.
Peter Thiel? I always thought the “take him seriously but not literally” phrase was first coined by Salena Zito.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/09/trump-makes-his-case-in-pittsburgh/501335/
I’m sure it will be announced the new approved containers will be limited sales through TheGrifterTrump.com.
Tangerine Tyrant s cleaning up the mess brought to us by Dementia Joe and Word Salad Kammy. Let’s not forget Impeached Mayorkas either. Simply a horrible administration. 1990 in 3, 2, 1…………….
I should be able to walk through security screening without breaking stride.
ID check – no, sorry, that’s completely irrelevant to security. This step should be scrapped. If airports want to manage crowds by limiting the airside to ticketed passengers, the airport authority can install barcode scanners and passengers can scan a BP to get through. Many European airports do this, even EWR Terminal A does this. But that should be an airport decision and not a federated TSA process.
Baggage scanning – I should be able to just drop my stuff and go. I don’t want to be taking anything in or out of my bags.
WTMD – these should be set with low sensitivity to detects weaponry but not belt buckles. Come on now, we’re in the age of generative AI and we can’t distinguish belt buckles from guns?
Love to see all the hate out there and specifically on this site.
The wonderful thing is that Trump is almost always correct in everything he does. You just have to wait a few months for the actual results of his actions to be evident. I know this is painful for so many. I’m sorry.
Just know I don’t hate you as you likely hate me.
@Manhattan Superiority, good point about the ID check. In Canada (other than prescreen for flights to the US), no ID check until you are getting on the plane. Could never figure out why we kept getting our passports out to go through domestic/international security but its because we are so used to it flying in the US. On the other hand, don’t see any way that scanners could be set to detect a knife versus a belt buckle, for example, so I don’t think this is an option with current tech
@Coffee Please — You rang? I was already here. See above. *trigger fingers* (pew! pew!)
@Manhattan Superiority — Haven’t had a meaningful wait at EWR Terminal A yet, so that’s an ironic ‘Newark’ superiority. Bah!
The liquid ban reminds me of the national 55 mph speed limit. Everyone knew it was overkill, but politicians resisted ending it because of visible negative consequences vs. invisible benefit.
@1990. Hey there. Sorry I missed you.
@nsx at FlyerTalk — Well, it depends, because some still resist wearing seatbelts, helmets, PPE, smoking bans, vaccines, taxes, and anything else that reasonably does benefit the greater society, but does inherently restrict some individual ‘freedom.’ It should be a balance. Lest we forget the hard lessons learned. Many of the rules we have were indeed ‘written in blood.’
@Coffee Please — Ya know, I’m around.
Hey, speaking of current events, what’s the deal with ‘your guy’ threatening the Fed chair? Not great, unless we want hyperinflation and chaos in the bond market. Or, is that just another decoy away from the Epstein stuff? Anyway, tell us about the Autopen thing, again. Or DEI. Is the 3oz thing ‘woke’? Can we use artificial intelligence somehow? Trying as many buzzwords as I can.
Let’s get rid of security theater and let technology do the screening. Australia has no such thing as PreCheck but it took me all of three minutes to get through security on a very busy morning.
With regards to Epstein, I don’t believe much is there. If so Biden would have released it during campaign season. Trump is frustrated with the Fed Chair, but he shouldn’t fire him. I’m not sure he can anyway. He wants lower rates but he’s not gonna get them. The auto pen. A huge coverup by the WH staff, the HW press corps, legacy media and such. Really Biden wasn’t fit in 2020. The “machine” hid him in the basement and ran cover for him. Every day Trump talks to the media. Biden on the other hand was kept away and the very few press conferences were highly orchestrated right down to what reporters ye would call on, cue cards, cheat sheets, teleprompters and such to attempt to to create an illusion that he was mentally sharp. Far from it. Joe getting out of the car at Normandy last year with that “where the hell am I” look on his face was icing on the cake. Now his close advisors and Doctor are pleading the 5th.
@1990. I did respond to your questions, but the scrubber got me.
@George Romey — Just 3 minutes ‘Down Under’? That’s hardly enough time for a proper g’day!
@Coffee Please — I eagerly await your ‘spicy’ responses.
Almost forgot: tariffs are back, or is it still TACO? Airbus gonna cost 30% more…
And, is He still ‘in’ with the crypto bros; like, is the ‘genius’ bill happening? Kinda weird that the ‘decentralized’ digital currency folks want ‘KYC’ and tethering to the dollar, but, oh well… ‘stable’ coin for the ‘stable genius!’
One can only imagine a mind so pickled with propaganda, that just faint whispers of larger fluid carryons policy creates this poorly written diatribe of unsubstantiated maga talking point fallacies. JFC this adrift thought leader needs time away from the cult echo chamber.
So weird that anyone thinks I’m a fan of Trump after the past 10 years of writing on this blog… or that what I wrote here is… positive about the man, even.
@Gary,
Thanks for this article — I do have one question: what do *real* security experts say about this? I’m not particularly interested in the “opinion” of the President or the DHS Secretary, but real, no-kidding security experts. I’m all for decreasing friction when traveling, I just want it to be an informed, evidence-based move, not a capricious, political one.
Thanks!
“I just want it to be an informed, evidence-based move, not a capricious, political one.”
You mean like the one that created the TSA?
@Mike P — Right on schedule… bah!