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By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has called a newspaper report claiming that the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) bought private jets for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem "lies."
Writing on X, the department posted a screenshot of a New York Times story and said that the USCG had bought government planes for its staffers rather than solely for Noem.
When asked for comment, a senior adviser to the Secretary for the Coast Guard, Sean Plankey, told Newsweek: "This is a matter of safety and mission readiness. It’s well known that senior military officials and Cabinet members need secure command and control and rapid long-range mobility."
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A spokesperson for The New York Times told Newsweek: "The Times's article is based on public documents, testimony from the Coast Guard's acting commandant and comments from a spokesperson for DHS. This very post confirms our reporting that the jets are, in fact, for use by the secretary and senior leaders at the department. The facts are straightforward, and we remain confident in our reporting of them."
Why It Matters
The jets raise questions about the use of federal money at a time when the government is in shutdown, meaning the daily activities of departments have stalled.
DHS's response to the Times also shows the White House's continuing adversarial relationship with the media. Some Pentagon reporters last week handed in their press passes after declining to sign a new set of policies for their reporting activities. The Associated Press also clashed with President Donald Trump's administration earlier this year when it refused to call the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.
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What To Know
According to government contracts cited by multiple publications, the USCG bought two Gulfstream G700 jets for $172 million to be used for Noem and other senior leaders.
DHS previously told The New York Times the purchases were needed for safety reasons.
The purchase attracted criticism from Democrats, including Representatives Rosa DeLauro and Lauren Underwood, who wrote in a letter to Noem: "Your first priority should be to organize, train and equip a Coast Guard that is strong enough to meet today's mission requirements. Instead, it appears your first priority is your own comfort."
After saying the purchase was for Noem, with a headline: "Coast Guard Buys Two Private Jets for Noem, Costing $172 Million," DHS hit back and posted an altered headline with some of the original scrubbed out that read: "Coast Guard Buys Two Government Planes For The Men And Women of USCG, Costing $172 Million."
Writing on X, DHS added: "More LIES from the failing @nytimes! These government planes are for the brave men and women of the @USCG.
The NYT wants our leaders to be incapable of responding to national emergencies while in the air, leaving DHS to be without leadership anytime the secretary is airborne. This 'journalist' clearly doesn’t understand the reality of protecting the American people 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year. Because if they did, they’d understand that this is a MATTER OF SAFETY and MISSION READINESS. Senior military officials and Cabinet members need secure command and control and rapid long-range mobility."
What People Are Saying
Acting Commandant of the Coast Guard Kevin Lunday said in May: “The avionics are increasingly obsolete, the communications are increasingly unreliable and it’s in need of recapitalization, like much of the rest of the fleet."
He added that new aircraft were essential “to provide agency leaders with secure, reliable, on-demand communications and movement to go forward, visit our operating forces, conducting the missions and then come back here to Washington and make sure we can work together to get them what they need.”
Amy Coplan, a philosophy professor at California State University, wrote on X: "You may want to take a refresher course in critical thinking. Your conclusion does not follow from the article."
What Happens Next
The New York Times said it remained confident in its reporting.
Update 10/20/25, 9:05 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from a spokesperson for The New York Times.
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