DHS Luxury Jet Fuels Scrutiny Of Noem And Lewandowski
DHS is leasing a luxury 737 MAX with a private cabin reportedly used by Secretary Kristi Noem and adviser Corey Lewandowski, and is in the process of being acquired for approximately $70 million.
Overview
DHS is leasing a luxury Boeing 737 MAX with a private cabin that officials said Noem and adviser Corey Lewandowski have used and is in the process of being acquired for approximately $70 million.
The plane is earmarked for "high-profile deportations," and comes after the department purchased a fleet of six commercial jets last year at a cost of $140 million, prompting scrutiny of taxpayer spending.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin denied salacious gossip and said the department focuses on homeland security, while reporting said President Donald Trump and top advisers have been uncomfortable with the pair's relationship.
A brochure said the jet's cabin could accommodate 17 passengers, and reporting tied Lewandowski to personnel moves including the demotion and relocation of an ICE attorney and the loss of a prospective ICE director.
It remains unclear whether the luxury plane is one of the six commercial jets bought last year, and reporting raised oversight questions after Lewandowski sought a badge and a federally issued gun.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as scandalous and wasteful, linking alleged personal misconduct to taxpayer abuse. Through loaded terms ("getting screwed", "salacious"), selective emphasis on luxury cabin details and punitive incidents, and scant policy context or financial defenses, the coverage foregrounds moral outrage over neutral fiscal analysis.
Sources (6)
FAQ
The Department of Homeland Security spent $140 million to purchase a fleet of six commercial jets last year for deportation flights[3]. Additionally, the 737 MAX jet with the private cabin is being leased but is in the process of being acquired for approximately $70 million[1][3]. However, it remains unclear whether the luxury 737 MAX is one of the six jets already purchased or an additional aircraft[3].
Corey Lewandowski, who held the informal position of 'special government employee' at DHS, requested a federal badge and issued gun despite never receiving law enforcement training[4]. When ICE legal officials, including attorney Ken Padilla, refused his request, Padilla was subsequently placed on administrative leave, demoted, and relocated to FEMA[4]. Additionally, when former ICE official Tom Feeley rejected Lewandowski's request for a gun, Feeley lost the opportunity to become the agency's new director[4].
Rumors about an alleged affair between Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski first surfaced in 2019, when an onlooker reported seeing Noem sitting on Lewandowski's lap in Florida[1]. The rumors were later described as the 'worst-kept secret in D.C.' in a 2025 story by New York Magazine[1].
The 737 MAX jet was officially earmarked for 'high-profile deportations,' though DHS staff jokingly referred to it as Noem's 'big, beautiful jet'[1][2]. When questioned about the discrepancy between the plane's stated purpose and its reported use by Noem and Lewandowski, a DHS spokesperson claimed that both cabinet-level travel and deportations were taking place on the aircraft[2]. The spokesperson also argued that the commercial plane was cheaper than a military plane for conducting deportations[2].
According to reporting by The Wall Street Journal, Lewandowski fired a Coast Guard pilot after Noem switched planes due to a maintenance issue but her blanket was not brought along on the replacement aircraft[2]. The pilot was reinstated shortly after because no one else was available to fly Noem and Lewandowski back[2].
History
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