The Department of Homeland Security has purchased two Gulfstream private jets for Secretary Kristi Noem and other senior officials, signing a contract worth more than $172 million as the federal government remains partially shut down and thousands of employees face delayed paychecks.
The jets, Gulfstream G700s marketed as having the “most spacious cabin in the industry”, were acquired through the Coast Guard, which operates under DHS. A record of the purchase was posted Friday on the government’s public procurement website. Documents reviewed by The New York Times list the total contract value as “a little over $172 million,” while The Washington Post cited figures closer to $200 million.
According to the department, the aircraft are “required to provide official travel for the secretary of homeland security, deputy secretary homeland security, commandant of the Coast Guard, vice commandant and Atlantic and Pacific commanders as specified by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Department of Homeland Security policy.”
However, DHS later took to social media to dispute reporting on the sale. “More LIES from the failing @nytimes! These government planes are for the brave men and women of the @USCG,” the department’s account posted on X. “The NYT wants our leaders to be incapable of responding to national emergencies while in the air, leaving DHS to be without leadership anytime the secretary is airborne.”
The contradictory statements have fueled questions about whether the aircraft are primarily intended for Coast Guard operations or for senior executive travel.
The purchase comes amid a historic government shutdown threatening vital programs for millions of Americans, including food assistance for women and children. Democrats swiftly condemned the decision, arguing that the expenditure is out of touch with the public hardship caused by the ongoing stalemate.
Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Homeland Security, called the purchase “wholly inappropriate” and “completely vile.” Thompson added, “Such spending is blatantly immoral—and probably illegal—and Congress must investigate.”
The Coast Guard’s earlier budget request this year included funding for a single long-range Gulfstream V aircraft, estimated to cost $50 million, to replace an aging plane used by the secretary. “The avionics are increasingly obsolete, the communications are increasingly unreliable and it’s in need of recapitalization, like much of the rest of the fleet,” Kevin Lunday, the acting commandant of the Coast Guard, told members of Congress at a May hearing. Lunday said the new aircraft would provide leaders with “secure, reliable, on-demand communications and movement to go forward, visit our operating forces, conducting the missions and then come back here to Washington and make sure we can work together to get them what they need.”
But documents now show that DHS went well beyond that original request, signing a contract for two “used” G700s. The agency has not clarified where the additional funding originated.
In a statement to The New York Times, a DHS public affairs official described the purchase as “a matter of safety,” arguing that the department’s existing jet was “over 20 years old” and “well beyond operational usage hours for a corporate aircraft.” The official did not explain why the department expanded its procurement from one to two jets, or why the cost more than tripled from the Coast Guard’s initial estimate.
Two senior Democrats, Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, and Representative Lauren Underwood of Illinois, top Democrat overseeing the Homeland Security panel—have requested written clarification from Secretary Noem on the deal’s funding source.
“In addition to raising serious questions about your ability to effectively lead an agency whose procurement strategies appear to vary on a whim, 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,” DeLauro and Underwood wrote. “We are deeply concerned about your judgment, leadership priorities, and responsibility as a steward of taxpayer dollars.”
Funding for the jets appears to have been drawn from a broader Coast Guard appropriation that Republicans included in their tax cut and domestic policy legislation earlier this year. The bill set aside roughly $25 billion for the Coast Guard, including $2.3 billion for aircraft procurement. Noem later said she was tapping those funds “to ensure that members of the Coast Guard did not miss a paycheck during the shutdown,” but the exact distribution of funds for the jet purchase remains unclear.
Critics say the acquisition reflects a broader pattern of personal indulgence by Noem. DHS employees have expressed frustration over the optics of luxury purchases at a time when much of the workforce is on furlough or unpaid status. The secretary has already faced scrutiny for reportedly staying rent-free at a government-owned waterfront residence traditionally used by the Coast Guard’s commandant.
According to The Washington Post, the house, typically reserved for the service’s top admiral, has been occupied by Noem since her appointment, a departure from standard practice. A department spokesperson said the arrangement was necessary “to ensure Ms. Noem’s safety after she received an onslaught of threats.” The spokesperson also said Noem had reimbursed “tens of thousands of dollars” to the government for personal use of the agency’s existing jet.
Noem’s spending controversies predate her role at DHS. As governor of South Dakota, she faced criticism for taxpayer-funded renovations to the governor’s mansion totaling $68,000, which included rugs, chandeliers, and the installation of a sauna. The Associated Press also reported that state taxpayers had paid about $150,000 for Noem’s travel, including a six-day trip to Paris for a right-wing conference and a hunting trip in Canada.
While DHS insists the new aircraft are justified by safety and communication needs, critics argue that the move exemplifies misplaced priorities during a fiscal crisis. The Coast Guard’s fleet faces widespread maintenance problems, from obsolete aircraft to underfunded patrol vessels. Lawmakers have warned that replacing operational assets should take precedence over luxury air travel for department leadership.
The purchase also raises questions about internal governance. Under Noem’s policy, all expenditures exceeding $100,000 require her personal approval—meaning she likely signed off on the $172 million contract herself.
The episode adds to the growing debate over accountability and transparency within DHS, a department already under scrutiny for its use of resources. As public outrage grows over government waste amid a shutdown, congressional Democrats have vowed to pursue answers about how and why the purchase was authorized.
As Representative Thompson warned, “Such spending is blatantly immoral—and probably illegal—and Congress must investigate.”
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