Trump’s new budget seeks TSA privatization. Here’s what that could mean

Key Points:

• President Donald Trump's 2027 budget proposal calls for expanding privatization of TSA airport security screening, requiring small airports to join the Screening Partnership Program where private companies conduct screenings funded by TSA.
• Privatized airports, currently 20 in the U.S., avoided long wait times during the recent government shutdown as private screeners continued receiving paychecks, unlike TSA employees who were furloughed.
• Private screeners undergo the same training and operate under TSA oversight, but the move faces opposition from the American Federation of Government Employees union, which argues privatization compromises safety and prioritizes profit over security.
• The proposal aims to save $52 million and reform TSA, with Project 2025 outlining potential savings of 15-20% and improved customer service by expanding privatization or creating a government corporation contracting private firms.
• Critics highlight that prior to 9/11, all U.S. airport security was privatized, and caution that privatization may lead to staff shortages and reduced security quality due to contracts awarded to lowest bidders.