Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is under fire for quietly trying to buy a luxury Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet outfitted with a private bedroom, showers, a kitchen, bar, and high-end interiors — and she wants taxpayers to foot the bill.
The Department of Homeland Security has submitted a request to the Office of Management and Budget to acquire the roughly $70 million plane — currently leased — which DHS officials claim will be used for “high-profile deportations” and official Cabinet travel.
However, as reported by The Daily Beast, the reasoning hasn’t landed well.
Normally, ICE removal flights carry 50 to 100 migrants, yet the sleek jet seats only about 18 passengers — a fact even some DHS insiders describe as “far-fetched” as a justification for chasing down deportees.
Noem’s spokesperson argued the aircraft will ultimately save money by flying at about 40 percent lower cost than military deportation flights.
The interior — designed by a high-end designer — features amenities more commonly seen on billionaire toys than government assets: a private bedroom with a queen bed, kitchen, showers, multiple large TVs, and a bar.
Some critics — including watchdogs and lawmakers on both sides — see a glaring mismatch between that luxe layout and DHS’s purported mission of carrying out deportations efficiently. Conservatives skeptical of federal spending and progressives opposed to Noem’s hardline immigration stance have both questioned how a luxury jet serves either goal.
This debate isn’t happening in a vacuum. Rumors have swirled for months over how Noem uses government aircraft, private travel, and her close relationship with senior adviser Corey Lewandowski — a former Trump campaign manager and the subject of ongoing rumors.
Drama in the Skies
That drama includes reported incidents such as Lewandowski’s bizarre decision to fire a U.S. Coast Guard pilot after a blanket was left behind on a backup plane — an episode that even late-night hosts have mocked as emblematic of Noem’s leadership style.
DHS insists it does not chase “salacious, baseless gossip” and maintains the aircraft will be put to legitimate use. But with internal sources rolling their eyes at the official justification, the optics are terrible — especially as the administration doubles down on a costly aircraft during a time of tight budgets and heated border politics.
Whether this jet ever lands with OMB approval or becomes another lightning rod for criticism, Noem’s luxury air travel gambit is already fueling GOP internal fights, Coast Guard complaints, late-night ridicule, and a hot public debate about priorities and wasteful government spending.
