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TSA line-skip video with Debbie Wasserman Schultz (March 2026)

A video circulating on social media in March 2026 appeared to show Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) being escorted past a TSA security line at Reagan National Airport (DCA). The video was posted to X by Derrick Evans (@DerrickEvans4WV), a former West Virginia delegate who received a presidential pardon related to the January 6, 2021 Capitol breach, with the caption "Lawmakers skip the line." Newsweek published a report on the video on March 24, 2026.

The video as posted to X by Derrick Evans (@DerrickEvans4WV), March 19, 2026. Mace's office disputes the characterization, calling the clip "a misrepresentation" and saying the escort was Capitol Police, see her office's response below.

Background: the shutdown and TSA escort suspension

The video surfaced during a partial government shutdown that had left TSA officers working without pay since mid-February 2026. The unpaid staffing situation contributed to hours-long security lines at major airports. On February 22, 2026, TSA suspended its "courtesy escort" program for members of Congress during the shutdown. Separately, on March 19-20, 2026, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed Sen. John Cornyn's (R-TX) "End Special Treatment for Congress at Airports Act" (S.4123), which would prohibit federal funding for expedited TSA screening privileges for lawmakers. Cornyn said:

"Nobody should be above the rules and regulations imposed on the American people, and a member pin on your lapel should not give you carte blanche to skip airport screening lines while everyday Americans are forced to patiently wait their turn."

Delta Air Lines also suspended congressional fast-track access at airports during the shutdown period.

Mace's office response

Mace's office disputed the characterization of the video in a statement to Newsweek:

"This video is a misrepresentation. Last week, she flew through New York and waited in the standard TSA line like every other American."

Her office added: "She believes all Members of Congress should do the same."

Mace's office also said the escort visible in the video was a Capitol Police escort, not a TSA or DHS escort, provided because of security threats, and that the video was filmed before the extended shutdown lines developed. These are claims by Mace's office; they are not independently confirmed.

Capitol Police airport escorts are a separate mechanism from the TSA courtesy escort program that TSA suspended on February 22, 2026. Mace's office's account, if accurate, would mean the escort in the video fell under Capitol Police authority rather than the suspended TSA program. No enforcement action against Mace was reported in connection with the video.

Wasserman Schultz

Wasserman Schultz's office did not respond to Newsweek's request for comment. She has not publicly addressed the video.

Broader context

Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA) defended congressional escorts generally in remarks reported by Semafor, saying: "Not because we're special, but because we're especially targeted." DHS subsequently confirmed to Semafor that the suspension of TSA courtesy escorts for members of Congress remained in effect as of April 1, 2026.

See also: Charleston airport / TSA tirade (Oct. 2025) · Reagan National constituent confrontation (Nov. 2024)

Sources

On the Record