At least one Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee wants to know why her subcommittee is being asked to approve funding for a new jet to be used by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
“My committee just received a last-minute addition to the Coast Guard’s spend plan: $50 million for a new Gulfstream 5 jet for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s personal use,” Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood said Wednesday. “She already has a Gulfstream 5, by the way, but she wants a new one paid for with your taxpayer dollars.”
DHS public affairs official Tricia McLaughlin told the Daily News that the CG-101 G550 being used by Noem is more than 20 years old, past its service life and has logged a lot of hours.
“This is a matter of safety,” McLaughlin said Wednesday night. “Much like the Coast Guard’s ships that are well beyond their service life and safe operational usage, Coast Guard’s aircraft are too.”
But the timing of Noem’s request wasn’t lost on California Rep. Ted Lieu, who joked about President Trump saying this week that he’d be a fool not to accept a $400 million luxury jet being gifted to him by the government of Qatar.
“Would a foreign country like to give a gift of a $50 million luxury private jet to Trump’s DHS Secretary?” Lieu asked on X. “Asking for a friend.”
Trump has taken heat from Democrats and Republicans alike for his eagerness to accept an aircraft that could represent ethical, optical and security concerns for the Office of the Presidency.
“I could be a stupid person and say: ‘We don’t want a free plane,’” Trump told reporters Monday before leaving on a three-day trip to the Middle East. “I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer.”
