President Trump has ousted Kristi Noem from the Department of Homeland Security, but his administration is hanging on to the controversial $70 million jet she leased during her tenure, according to a department spokeswoman and other officials familiar with the matter.
The administration plans to use the plane, which is nicer than most other government jets, for travel by select cabinet secretaries, some of the officials said. First lady Melania Trump’s office would also have access to the jet, the officials said.
The plane first gained attention as an element of the vast spending at DHS under Noem, who initially leased it primarily for her personal travel around the country with top aide Corey Lewandowski , The Wall Street Journal reported. Noem had planned to purchase it, and in paperwork, it had been earmarked for “high-profile deportations” in addition to cabinet-level travel.
Trump fired Noem last month , telling advisers that he was tired of the infighting and drama at her department and upset over her congressional testimony, in which she said Trump had signed off on other controversial spending at the department. Former Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R., Okla.) was confirmed last month as her replacement.
Officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which was handling the jet’s purchase, thought plans to buy it would then be shelved, agency officials said.
But following Noem’s ouster, the White House wanted to move ahead, and has taken it away from DHS’s control, the officials said. The plane’s use is now approved by top White House officials instead of officials at DHS.
The plane ultimately cost about $70 million, a DHS spokeswoman confirmed.
“ICE purchased this plane before Secretary Mullin was confirmed,” the spokeswoman said in a statement. “This aircraft will be available to cabinet members who need secure command and control and rapid long-range mobility.”
A White House spokeswoman referred a request for comment to DHS.
Some administration officials and outside supporters have wondered why ICE money—which Congress bolstered last year to pay for Trump’s promised mass deportation—would be spent on a plane that isn’t going to be used for immigration enforcement.
“Wasting tens of millions of dollars on a luxury jet that won’t remove a single illegal alien is offensive,” said RJ Hauman, the director of the National Immigration Center for Enforcement or NICE, an outside group that has been pushing the administration to go further with its deportation efforts.
The plane features a queen bed, showers, a kitchen, four large flat-screen TVs and even a bar, according to people familiar with the marketing. NBC News earlier reported the plane’s features and a brochure of them.
In recent months, White House officials have asked the cabinet to curb their travel, saying they should instead be focused on campaigning for the GOP ahead of the midterm elections.
The plane isn’t as expensive as Air Force One, which has a full office and bedroom, kitchens and other high-tech components. But it appears to have more amenities than most other government jets. Air Force Two, which is used by the vice president, for example, has a pullout couch bed but doesn’t have other features of the new jet.
Some former officials questioned how the administration could buy a luxury jet without Congress approving of it. The administration “started with promises of cutting wasteful spending,” Marc Short , a former chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence , said.
Trump recently accepted a luxury jet from the Qatari government, which is being overhauled. He is expected to begin using the plane this summer , the Journal has reported. Trump has raised concerns in the past about the current fleet of Air Force One planes, administration officials said.
Write to Michelle Hackman at michelle.hackman@wsj.com and Josh Dawsey at Joshua.Dawsey@WSJ.com
