The travel habits of top Trump administration officials are continuing to spark criticism. On Thursday, MS NOW’s Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian reported that FBI Director Kash Patel took his agency’s Gulfstream jet to Milan to attend the Winter Olympics. Three people familiar with his plans told MS NOW that Patel was headed to Italy to watch one of his favorite sports: men’s ice hockey.
Based on the hourly flight costs, Patel’s trip is likely to cost U.S. taxpayers as much as $75,000.
But as MS NOW’s Jacob Soboroff pointed out Thursday evening, that amount is “peanuts” compared to the tab the Department of Homeland Security wants the American people to pick up so that its agency’s leadership can travel in style.
According to a new report from NBC News, DHS has asked the White House’s Office of Management and Budget for approval to purchase a $70 million jet, which the agency says will be used for “dual missions — both as ICE deportation flights and for cabinet level travel.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reportedly has already been using the aircraft for her travel. According to The Wall Street Journal, Noem and her top adviser, Corey Lewandowski, have flown the leased jet across the country.
Serving as guest host on “All In with Chris Hayes,” Soboroff gave viewers a virtual tour of the Boeing 737 Max 8, which features multiple bathrooms and showers, a bedroom with a queen bed and a galley kitchen with stainless steel appliances.
“There’s a microwave,” Soboroff pointed out. “I don’t even have a microwave in my house.”
The senior political and national reporter for MS NOW then showed viewers the back of the jet, which featured seemingly leather chairs and a three-seat bar.
“If there are deportees there, I don’t think they’re going to be using the wet bar that is in the corner of the aircraft,” he said.
Soboroff concluded by saying, “That is the plane that Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski have been flying all around the world in to visit exotic locales, for boat rides and camel rides and whatever else they are doing. And they want you to believe they need it for deportations.”
“I think we know by now what Noem’s word is worth, and it is a lot less than $70 million taxpayer dollars,” he said.
You can watch Soboroff’s full tour of the jet in the clip at the top of the page.
Allison Detzel is an editor/producer for MS NOW. She was previously a segment producer for “AYMAN” and “The Mehdi Hasan Show.”