Topline<\/p>\n
The Department of Homeland Security reportedly spent $172 million on two private jets for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and other agency officials\u2014as Noem\u2019s spending habits using public dollars have faced criticism dating back to her time as South Dakota governor.<\/p>\n
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem looks on during a roundtable discussion in the State Dining Room of the White House on October 08, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Getty ImagesKey Facts<\/p>\n
The Coast Guard, which is under DHS, entered into a contract for two long-range used G700 jets from Gulfstream, The New York Times reported<\/a>, citing a government procurement website that shows a contract for the jets valued at more than $172 million. <\/p>\n The jets have the \u201cmost spacious cabin in the industry,\u201d Gulfstream says on its website, according to the Times. <\/p>\n Coast Guard Acting Commandant Kevin Lunday told Congress earlier this year, when speaking about the private jet that had been assigned to Noem, \u201cthe avionics are increasingly obsolete, the communications are increasingly unreliable and it\u2019s in need of recapitalization, like much of the rest of the fleet,\u201d while requesting $50 million for the Coast Guard budget to replace the jet Noem uses.<\/p>\n Republicans\u2019 signature policy bill passed earlier this year included $2.3 billion for \u201cthe procurement and acquisition of rotary-wing aircraft,\u201d the Times noted, though it\u2019s unclear where the funding for the $172 million contract came from or why the department bought two jets. <\/p>\n An unnamed DHS spokesperson told the Times the two jet purchases were \u201ca matter of safety\u201d and the Coast Guard\u2019s existing jet used by Noem was more than 20 years old and \u201cwell beyond operational usage hours for a corporate aircraft.\u201d<\/p>\n Tangent<\/p>\n Noem implemented a rule requiring her personal approval of any DHS expense over $100,000. The protocol has caused a backlog of spending requests, The New York Times reported<\/a> in August. <\/p>\n Chief Critic<\/p>\n Reps. Laura DeRosa, D-Conn., who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, and Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., who is on the Homeland Security Committee, raised concerns about the jet purchases in a letter to Noem, according to the Times. They asked her to \u201cclarify the funding source\u201d and said the purchases suggest the Coast Guard \u201chas been directed to prioritize your own comfort above the U.S.C.G.\u2019s operational needs, even during a government shutdown,\u201d adding \u201cwe are deeply concerned about your judgement, leadership priorities, and responsibility as a steward of taxpayer dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n Key Background<\/p>\n Noem\u2019s spending habits have faced scrutiny dating back to her time as governor of South Dakota. She spent $68,000 upgrading the governor\u2019s mansion with new rugs, chandeliers and a sauna, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reported<\/a> in 2021. While campaigning for Trump, her travel costs amounted to $150,000 in expenses covered by South Dakota taxpayers, including trips to Palm Beach, Florida, airfare for a six-day trip to Paris where she spoke at a right-wing gathering, a bear hunt in Canada with her niece and $2,200 on a trip to Houston for dental work, The Associated Press reported<\/a> in March. Democrats have also criticized her<\/a> for staying in a waterfront Coast Guard property in Washington typically reserved for its top admiral, The Washington Post reported. The paper also noted that Noem had used Coast Guard jets to travel to South Dakota at least nine times as of mid-July. A spokeswoman for Noem reportedly said she stayed at the Coast Guard property due to safety reasons and reimbursed the government \u201ctens of thousands of dollars\u201d for personal travel on the jet. <\/p>\n Further Reading <\/strong><\/p>\n Coast Guard Buys Two Private Jets For Noem, Costing $172 Million<\/a> (New York Times)<\/p>\n Kristi Noem is living rent-free in home used by Coast Guard commandant<\/a> (Washington Post)<\/p>\n