As you're reading this, Americans are heading to anti-Trump protests taking place today across the country. Organizers say the “No Kings” events — with more than 3,000 planned nationwide — could become the largest single day of protests in U.S. history. The flagship rally is in Minneapolis, a city Skift has covered in depth on the role hotels have played in both immigration enforcement and anti-ICE demonstrations. Bruce Springsteen is expected to perform.

This comes during a particularly difficult week for the president. There are few things that seem to motivate government change more than meltdowns at the airports, and security lines at some of the nation's busiest hubs are still more than 3 hours. Some airports — including all three in the New York area — simply stopped telling people how long security was going to take. At one point, Elon Musk offered to pay the TSA (he cannot).

As you all know by now, this is happening because of the partial government shutdown. But there may actually be movement on the TSA front.

Late Thursday, Trump posted on Truth Social that he would sign an executive order to "immediately" pay TSA agents. The order instructs DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to pay workers who have gone without full paychecks since the shutdown began in mid-February. Hours later, the Senate unanimously approved funding for most of the Department of Homeland Security — with the notable exceptions of ICE and parts of Customs and Border Protection. The fight was dragging on in the House.

It’s unclear when TSA paychecks will finally hit bank accounts. Nearly 500 of TSA's roughly 50,000 officers have quit during the shutdown, and multiple airports are experiencing callout rates above 40%. The acting TSA administrator testified before Congress this week that officers are "sleeping in their cars, selling their blood and plasma and taking on second jobs to make ends meet." She also noted that by Friday, the agency will have accumulated nearly $1 billion in unpaid payroll.

So, to recap: the billionaire can't pay them. The president says he will (via executive order, of uncertain legal standing). Congress is still debating. Saturday, millions of Americans will be out to protest the president. The rest are standing in line at the airport. 

Welcome to spring break 2026.