Privatizing Airport Security? Trump’s Proposal Ignores the Real Risks

President Trump’s latest call to privatize airport security at smaller airports, as outlined in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 blueprint, sounds like a fresh idea. But here’s the kicker: this isn’t new. The TSA’s Screening Partnership Program (SPP) has allowed private contractors to handle security screening for more than 20 years at various airports, including major hubs like San Francisco International.

According to Sheldon H. Jacobson, a University of Illinois professor and aviation security expert, these private screeners undergo the same TSA training and follow the same protocols as government employees. The TSA still sets the security standards and supervises operations. So, from a passenger’s perspective, nothing changes except who’s on the payroll.

The usual pushback comes from TSA union reps, who warn that private contractors could bring back the vulnerabilities seen on 9/11 and cite turnover issues. But Jacobson calls these objections “hollow.” The real failure on 9/11 wasn’t the screeners but the policies allowing dangerous items onboard. And turnover rates have improved recently thanks to better pay and conditions—factors contractors have an incentive to maintain.

The big question is why privatize at all? Jacobson argues it’s about saving money—estimated at $50 million annually at smaller airports. But that’s a drop in the bucket compared to the TSA’s $120 million weekly payroll. The Trump administration’s push to privatize is less about improving security and more about cutting government costs and shrinking the federal workforce, a key goal of Project 2025’s authoritarian blueprint.

Jacobson even suggests expanding privatization beyond small airports to all U.S. airports, a radical shift that would spark intense scrutiny. But as long as TSA sets the rules and oversees training, he claims there’s no security reason to oppose it.

We’re not buying the idea that privatization is purely about efficiency or security. It’s a political move to outsource critical national security functions to private companies with profit motives, under a president who has repeatedly shown disregard for public accountability and transparency. Privatizing airport security isn’t just a cost-saving measure—it’s a step toward dismantling trusted public institutions and handing over control to unaccountable private actors.

As always, we’ll be watching closely to see if this push leads to real savings or just more vulnerability in our nation’s airports. The stakes couldn’t be higher.