The Department of Homeland Security has contracted to purchase two luxury Gulfstream G700 private jets for $172 million, primarily for use by Secretary Kristi Noem and other senior officials.

The U.S. Coast Guard finalized the sole-source contract with Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation on October 15, 2025, for two G700 jets—aircraft that Gulfstream markets as having “the most spacious cabin in the industry.” The purchase exceeds the Coast Guard’s original budget request of $50 million for a single replacement aircraft presented to Congress earlier this year.

Acting Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday defended the acquisition as essential for modernizing command and control capabilities. “The timing of this investment underscores the Coast Guard’s vital need to modernize its command and control capabilities to meet today’s rapidly evolving operational demands,” Lunday stated in a Coast Guard press release.​

The DHS characterized the purchase as “a matter of safety,” noting that the department’s current Gulfstream CG-101 G550 jet is over 20 years old and “well beyond operational usage hours for a corporate aircraft.” The Coast Guard reported that its long-range command and control aircraft experienced 30 days of unplanned maintenance since January 2025, resulting in six mission cancellations.​

At a press briefing Monday, Noem dismissed Democratic concerns, stating: “These aircraft are for the Coast Guard to replace planes that are 25 years old and necessary for the Coast Guard to do their mission. Congress appropriated the dollars and paid for them in the big, beautiful bill, and we’re grateful that we’re able to move forward.”

The aircraft are officially Coast Guard assets, purchased through Coast Guard procurement, maintained by Coast Guard personnel, and operated as part of the Coast Guard’s Long Range Command and Control Aircraft (LRCCA) program. The Coast Guard has operated executive transport aircraft for over 65 years, dating back to 1963. 

According to the official Coast Guard, these aircraft are “required to provide official travel” for a specific list of officials:​

• Secretary of Homeland Security (Kristi Noem)
• Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security (Troy Edgar)
• Commandant of the Coast Guard
• Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard
• Atlantic and Pacific Area Commanders

This list is mandated by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) policy and DHS regulations.

The purchase has drawn criticism from congressional Democrats, particularly regarding the funding source and timing during a government shutdown when Coast Guard personnel faced uncertainty about receiving paychecks. However, Coast Guard personnel were eventually paid during the shutdown through special arrangements.

Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, and Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.), ranking member of the homeland security subcommittee, sent a letter to Noem on October 18 demanding clarification. “The procurement of new luxury jets for your use suggests that the USCG has been directed to prioritize your own comfort above the USCG’s operational needs, even during a government shutdown,” the lawmakers wrote. “We are deeply concerned about your judgment, leadership priorities, and responsibility as a steward of taxpayer dollars.”​

Democrats note the purchase occurred during a government shutdown and question why two jets were purchased when only one was initially requested.

Representative Bennie Thompson, the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, called for an investigation, stating such expenditures are “outright immoral—and likely illegal—and Congress must look into this matter.”

The jet purchase adds to mounting scrutiny of Noem’s spending patterns both during her time as South Dakota governor and since assuming her role at DHS.​

An Associated Press analysis in March 2025 found that South Dakota taxpayers subsidized more than $150,000 in expenses tied to Noem’s political and personal travel while she served as governor, including trips to support President Trump’s campaign. These expenses included $7,555 for airfare on a six-day trip to Paris for a conservative speaking engagement, costs from a bear hunting trip to Canada with her niece, and $2,200 for dental work in Houston.​

During her governorship, Noem also spent $68,000 in taxpayer funds redecorating the governor’s mansion, including new rugs, chandeliers, and a sauna installation.

Since becoming DHS secretary, Noem has faced additional criticism for living rent-free in Quarters 1, a waterfront residence at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling typically reserved for the Coast Guard commandant. A DHS spokesperson stated the arrangement was temporary and necessary due to security concerns after Noem was “doxxed.” Previous Cabinet secretaries who lived on military installations, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during Trump’s first term, paid rent for such accommodations.

The Washington Post also reported that by mid-July 2025, Noem had utilized Coast Guard jets for travel to South Dakota at least nine times. Following this reporting, a DHS spokesperson stated Noem reimbursed the government “tens of thousands of dollars” for personal travel on the government aircraft.

The purchase comes despite the Coast Guard taking delivery of a new Gulfstream G550 (C-37B) in 2022 specifically for use by DHS senior officials and Coast Guard leadership. That aircraft, designated CG-102, was acquired through an existing Air Force contract and outfitted with Coast Guard-specific communications and security equipment, with an expected service life of 20 years.

Democrats have requested detailed documentation by October 30, 2025, including the funding source, delivery timeline, internal analysis comparing alternatives, names of officials who authorized the purchase, and formal justification for awarding the sole-source contract to Gulfstream.