In a fiery rebuke that has amplified partisan tensions during an ongoing government shutdown, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer demanded a comprehensive investigation on Monday into the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) acquisition of two luxury Gulfstream G700 private jets, costing taxpayers $172 million. The purchases, intended primarily for Secretary Kristi Noem and other senior officials, have ignited a firestorm of criticism from Democrats, who decry the expenditure as emblematic of fiscal irresponsibility at a time when federal workers are furloughed and essential services teeter on the brink of disruption.
Schumer's call for scrutiny came via a pointed video message posted on social media, where he formally urged the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to launch a full audit of the transaction. "I’m demanding the GAO do a full investigation as to what the hell is the justification for buying these jets," Schumer declared, his voice laced with indignation. The New York Democrat's remarks were echoed earlier on the Senate floor, where he dismantled the Trump administration's defense of the purchase—framed as a "safety" measure for aging aircraft—as woefully inadequate given the economic hardships facing ordinary Americans.
"Let’s be very clear: at a time that Americans are paying more for groceries, falling behind on car payments, and seeing their electricity bills go up and up and up, Secretary Noem thinks it’s a good use of taxpayer dollars to buy two jets known for having 'the most spacious cabin in the industry,'" Schumer thundered, invoking the Gulfstream G700's marketing tagline to underscore what he portrayed as extravagant excess. The jets, manufactured by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, are the pinnacle of private aviation luxury, boasting ultra-long-range capabilities, advanced avionics, and interiors customizable for high-end comfort, including lie-flat seating, full galleys, and high-speed Wi-Fi—features more akin to a billionaire's yacht than a government workhorse.
The controversy erupted over the weekend following a bombshell report in The New York Times on Saturday, which revealed the DHS's contract details through public procurement records. According to the documents, the U.S. Coast Guard—a DHS component—entered into a sole-source agreement with Gulfstream on October 17, 2025, for two "used" G700 models at a total value exceeding $172 million. This figure, while below the $200 million cited in some early reports from The Washington Post, still dwarfs the Coast Guard's original budget request of $50 million for a single replacement jet earlier this year. Critics, including Schumer, have seized on the discrepancy, questioning how the funding ballooned and whether it was rerouted from other critical priorities amid the shutdown, now in its third week.
The timing could scarcely be worse. The partial government shutdown, triggered by a deadlock over border security funding and expiring appropriations bills, has left over 800,000 federal employees without paychecks, delayed SNAP benefits for millions, and strained national security operations. DHS itself, responsible for immigration enforcement, cybersecurity, and disaster response, is operating on borrowed time with contingency funds. Yet, the jet deal proceeded unchecked, fueling accusations that the Trump administration prioritizes elite conveniences over public welfare. "This isn't just tone-deaf—it's a slap in the face to every family scraping by," Schumer said, linking the purchase to broader economic woes exacerbated by inflation and tariffs.
DHS officials, however, have pushed back forcefully, insisting the acquisition is not the personal plaything Schumer suggests but a necessary upgrade for operational continuity. In a statement to Forbes, a department spokesperson emphasized that the G700s are "required to provide official travel for the secretary of homeland security, deputy secretary, commandant of the Coast Guard, vice commandant, and Atlantic and Pacific commanders," as mandated by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) policy. The existing fleet, they argued, includes a 20-year-old Gulfstream V that's "well beyond operational usage hours," with obsolete communications systems posing genuine safety risks during missions spanning the continental U.S. and overseas territories.
Further defending the move, Secretary Noem addressed the uproar during a press conference in Sarasota, Florida, on Monday afternoon. Flanked by Coast Guard brass, the former South Dakota governor—a staunch Trump ally appointed to the cabinet in January 2025—asserted that Congress had already greenlit the funds through the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," a massive omnibus package signed by President Trump in July. "These aren't luxury toys; they're tools to keep our borders secure and our teams safe," Noem stated, her tone defiant. She highlighted the jets' dual-use potential for surveillance and rapid deployment, countering Democratic narratives with data on the old aircraft's downtime rates, which have reportedly climbed 40% in the past year due to maintenance snarls.
Noem's tenure at DHS has been marked by bold, if polarizing, reforms, including a June 2025 memo requiring her personal sign-off on all agency expenditures exceeding $100,000—a policy ostensibly aimed at curbing waste but which has instead created bureaucratic bottlenecks, delaying routine procurements by weeks. Ironically, this "efficiency" edict did little to flag the jet deal, which sailed through via the Coast Guard's streamlined process. Past spending controversies have dogged Noem since her gubernatorial days: A 2021 Sioux Falls Argus Leader investigation unearthed $68,000 in taxpayer funds for redecorating the South Dakota governor's mansion, while the Associated Press documented $150,000 in state-covered travel blending personal and political jaunts. More recently, The Washington Post reported Noem's reimbursement of "tens of thousands" for personal jet use after a prior exposé, though she dismissed it as "baseless smears."
Schumer's GAO request isn't isolated Democratic ire. On Saturday, House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Homeland Security Subcommittee Ranking Member Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) fired off a blistering letter to Noem, demanding timelines, funding sources, and approval records for the jets. "In addition to raising serious questions about your ability to effectively lead an agency whose procurement strategies appear to vary on a whim, the procurement of new luxury jets for your use suggests that the U.S. Coast Guard has been directed to prioritize your own comfort above the USCG’s operational needs, even during a government shutdown," the lawmakers wrote, echoing Schumer's outrage. Their missive, obtained by MSNBC, also probes whether the sole-source contract bypassed competitive bidding laws, a potential violation of federal procurement statutes.
The backlash has rippled across Capitol Hill and social media. Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) amplified Schumer's video on X, juxtaposing the jet costs with a $40 billion U.S. aid package to Argentina, quipping, "Trump gave Argentina $40 BILLION of YOUR tax dollars and Kristi Noem spent $172 MILLION on private jets, all while Republicans argue we don't have the funding to keep American's health care costs from skyrocketing. How does that make any sense?" Progressive outlets like Truthout and Raw Story have dubbed Noem "ICE Barbie" for her aggressive immigration stance and perceived extravagance, while even moderate voices, such as Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), urged her to "cool your jets and fly commercial."
Republican defenders, meanwhile, frame the uproar as partisan theater. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) dismissed it during a Fox News appearance as "Democrat distraction tactics" from the shutdown's real culprit: Democratic resistance to border wall funding. On X, conservative users countered Schumer's clip, clarifying the jets replace "existing aircraft owned by DHS" and were funded via appropriated bills, not emergency slush funds. "More lies… the Schumer shutdown is costing Americans taxpayers $7-15 Billion/week," one post read, shifting blame back to fiscal gridlock.
As the GAO weighs Schumer's request—expected to take months—the episode lays bare deeper fissures in Washington's spending wars. With the shutdown projected to drag into November absent a breakthrough, the jet saga risks becoming a flashpoint in midterm messaging, where Democrats paint Republicans as out-of-touch elites, and the GOP counters with vows of "draining the swamp" through targeted efficiencies. For now, the G700s sit grounded in symbolism: gleaming emblems of a divided government's priorities, soaring far above the fray below.
Yet, beneath the rhetoric lies a substantive debate on federal aviation needs. The Government Accountability Office's past probes into DHS expenditures, such as a 2013 review of ammunition stockpiles, have unearthed waste but also validated modernization imperatives. Experts note the G700's $78 million list price for new models makes the "used" deal a relative bargain for its specs, potentially saving long-term on fuel and maintenance. Still, in an era of squeezed budgets, the optics are brutal: While Coast Guard personnel forgo pay to patrol storm-tossed seas, their leadership eyes cabins spacious enough for a small entourage.
Schumer's video, viewed over 300,000 times by Tuesday evening, ends with a stark plea: "Democrats will fight to protect your money." Whether the GAO unearths malfeasance or mundane necessity, one thing is clear—this $172 million flight path has veered straight into election-year turbulence, testing the altitude of public trust in a shutdown-shadowed sky.
