As the country braces for a potential recession, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem requested Congress to approve a $50 million Gulfstream V jet, funded by the Coast Guard’s budget. This ask prompted a scathing letter from Democratic Reps. Bennie Thompson and LaMonica McIver, who criticized the move as a reckless luxury grab that would undermine critical Coast Guard missions.
Noem, noted as one of the least effective Trump Cabinet members and a full-time enforcer cosplayer, argues that the current DHS jet is too old and “well beyond operational usage hours.” Thus, she seeks taxpayer funds for her personal travel to photo ops in New York, El Salvador, and wherever else her stunt calendar takes her.
To be fair, the Coast Guard, which falls under DHS, does need updated aircraft. Experts informed The Intercept that the fleet is aging, and parts are increasingly difficult to obtain.
However, here’s the catch: The proposed DHS budget already allocates over $500 million for upgrades. Furthermore, the jet Noem is demanding wouldn’t necessarily support Coast Guard missions—it would primarily serve Noem herself.
That’s why Democrats are calling BS.
“Reports indicate this jet would cost $50 million and replace one of the two Gulfstream jets already at your disposal,” Thompson and McIver, from Mississippi and New Jersey, respectively, wrote in their letter, obtained by The Hill on Friday. “Funding the acquisition of this new jet would come at the cost of other USCG investments, including sorely needed modernization of the USCG’s aging aircraft fleet used by service members for search and rescue and other critical missions.”
They pointed out that the jet Noem currently uses—a Gulfstream V purchased in 2002—is newer than many Coast Guard aircraft still in service, some of which date back to the 1980s. In the meantime, parts for some of the service’s helicopters are no longer even manufactured.
So, why does Noem require a shiny new private jet while Coast Guard pilots are flying outdated models?
Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood didn’t hold back when she confronted Coast Guard Adm. Kevin Lunday during a recent House Appropriations Committee hearing or on social media.
“I was horrified last Friday when we received a last-minute addition to your spend plan for fiscal ’25, a new $50 million Gulfstream 5 for Secretary Noem’s personal travel,” Underwood said. “She already has a Gulfstream 5, by the way.”
Lunday attempted to defend the request, claiming the current plane is “approaching obsolescence,” with unreliable communications and outdated avionics. However, this justification didn’t resonate, especially since the rest of the fleet is in similar, if not worse, condition.
Related |Kristi Noem also wants a fancy new jet
Thompson and McIver’s letter made the connections clear, comparing Noem’s request to President Donald Trump’s unconstitutional attempt to secure a $400 million Air Force One from Qatar.
“We know President Trump has set a high bar for wasteful luxury travel by government officials,” they wrote. “That does not mean members of his Cabinet must follow suit.
They added: “Your desire to travel in luxury should not eclipse the need for USCG service members to fly safely and conduct lifesaving missions.”
They’re correct. Noem’s vanity purchase occurs in an administration focused on slashing services, terrorizing immigrants, and dismantling the essential programs that working families depend upon.
Democrats are not allowing this to go unchecked. They are demanding a complete accounting of Noem’s use of DHS aircraft—including every flight she’s taken, and a breakdown of which Coast Guard aircraft are set to expire before either of the two jets she already has access to.
Meanwhile, Republicans remain silent. Apparently, they’re fine with the DHS wasting funds on a luxury plane while the rest of the fleet falls apart.
At a time when millions of Americans are anxious about inflation, layoffs, and cuts to essential services, Noem is out here asking for a new toy. The message couldn’t be clearer: This administration governs for the powerful, the privileged, and the performative. And the rest of us are footing the bill.
Campaign Action
