Splash Out: $172 Million for Two “Most Spacious Cabin” Jets
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem has ignited a firestorm of controversy after the department, a division of which is the Coast Guard, splashed out a whopping $172 million on not one but two luxury aircraft.
The purchase drastically exceeded the Coast Guard’s initial, more modest request for an estimated $50 million to replace one “run-down” old Gulfstream V jet used by the Secretary.
Documents obtained by The New York Times confirm DHS signed a deal with Gulfstream for two “used” G700s. These jets are marketed as having “the most spacious cabin in the industry,” a detail unlikely to soothe critics concerned about taxpayer money. Critically, the newspaper has been unable to determine the exact funding source for the lavish double purchase.
The “Matter of Safety” Defense
The DHS defended the move as “a matter of safety,” claiming the 20-year-old aircraft currently in use was “well beyond operational usage hours for a corporate aircraft.
Coast Guard acting commandant Kevin Lunday had previously testified in May that the new aircraft was necessary to provide agency leaders with “secure, reliable, on-demand communications” and movement to visit operating forces.
However, the purchase is being viewed less as a safety measure and more as a blatant act of self-aggrandizement.
Political Hypocrisy: Luxury First, Taxpayers Second
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Noem’s political opponents did not hold back. Top-ranking Democrats, Congresswomen Rosa DeLauro and Lauren Underwood, sent a pointed letter to the Secretary demanding she “clarify the funding source.”
Their letter sharply criticized Noem’s leadership priorities:
“The procurement of new luxury jets for your use suggests that the U.S.C.G. has been directed to prioritize your own comfort above the U.S.C.G.’s operational needs, even during a government shutdown… We are deeply concerned about your judgment, leadership priorities, and responsibility as a steward of taxpayer dollars.”
This isn’t Noem’s first spending scandal since joining the MAGA administration. She was already under scrutiny for:
- Reportedly staying free-of-charge at a glitzy Washington, D.C. residence reserved for top Coast Guard brass.
- Implementing new rules that require her to personally sign off on any expenditure over $100,000—a rule that appears to implicate her directly in the jet purchase.
- Previously racking up a $150,000 tab for South Dakota taxpayers to cover her personal and official travel while campaigning for President Donald Trump, including a bear hunting trip to Canada.
The Trump administration just ordered two Gulfstream luxury private jets for Kristi Noem at a cost of over $172 million.
This comes as Americans can barely afford groceries. pic.twitter.com/0C7kPDeyM9
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) October 18, 2025
