Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s leased $70 milion jet will reportedly stay with the Trump administration even after she was fired.
The aircraft, considered more luxurious than Air Force Two, will be used by Cabinet secretaries and the office of first lady Melania Trump, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
It was originally earmarked for “high-profile deportations” in line with President Trump’s immigration agenda and became a topic of conversation regarding Ms. Noem’s spending at the department. She mostly leased the plane for her personal travel with her top aide, Corey Lewandowski.
Ms. Noem had planned to purchase the jet, a Boeing 737 Max 8, but officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement handling its purchase thought such plans would be pigeonholed following her ouster in March.
After the president replaced her with former Sen. Markwayne Mullin, the White House continued to pursue its purchase and moved the jet under its purview rather than the Homeland Security Department.
“ICE purchased this plane before Secretary Mullin was confirmed,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement. “This aircraft will be available to Cabinet members who need secure command and control and rapid long-range mobility.”
Mr. Mullin, Oklahoma Republican, was confirmed last month to head DHS.
When DHS was seeking to buy the plane, ICE told the Office of Management and Budget that it would be used for deportations and travel for Cabinet officials, NBC News reported in February.
When asked how the plane would be used for deportations, a DHS spokesman said that “at least one of the bedrooms is currently being converted for seating to prepare the aircraft to meet the demands of its deportation mission.”
The spokesperson added that it’s intended to save taxpayer money, flying “at 40% cheaper than what the military aircraft flies for ICE deportation flights.”
The jet features a bedroom, showers, a kitchen, four large TVs and a bar, according to images obtained by NBC News.
