White House Keeps $70M Jet Linked to Axed Kristi Noem — Report Says Aircraft Will Now Serve Melania Trump

The Trump administration is pressing ahead with the purchase of a £54 million ($70 million) Boeing 737 Max 8 once leased by fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, reassigning the aircraft to senior Cabinet officials and the office of First Lady Melania Trump.

Officials familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal that the jet, which had been expected to be abandoned following Noem's removal from office, will instead be repurposed for White House use. The decision strips the Department of Homeland Security of authority over the plane and places oversight directly with senior White House officials.

A DHS spokeswoman confirmed the change to the Journal, stating: 'ICE purchased this plane before Secretary Mullin was confirmed. This aircraft will be available to Cabinet members who need secure command and control and rapid long-range mobility.'

A Boeing 737 Fitted for Executives, Not Deportees

The aircraft at the centre of the controversy is no ordinary government plane. According to images obtained by NBC News and confirmed by DHS officials, the jet's interior was designed by New York-based designer Peter Marino and includes a queen-size bed, showers, a fully fitted kitchen, four large flat-screen televisions and a cocktail bar.

Those amenities sit well above the standard for other government aircraft. Air Force Two, used by Vice President JD Vance, features a pull-out sofa bed but lacks comparable luxury fittings. The 737 Max 8 can carry up to 18 passengers and sleep 14, a capacity critics note makes it ill-suited to mass deportation flights, which require far larger passenger loads.

DHS had initially justified the lease and prospective purchase on operational grounds. A department spokesperson said the plane 'flies at 40 percent cheaper than what the military aircraft flies for ICE deportation flights,' arguing the acquisition would 'save the American taxpayer hundreds of millions of dollars.'

The administration had described the plane's intended function as serving 'dual missions': deportation operations and Cabinet-level travel.

Noem's Departure and the Decision to Retain the Jet

Noem was removed from her position on 5 March 2026, two days after a bruising Senate Judiciary Committee hearing during which she faced questions from both parties over the jet, a £170 million ($220 million) taxpayer-funded advertising campaign featuring herself on horseback at Mount Rushmore, and her alleged relationship with senior aide Corey Lewandowski. President Trump, furious that Noem had suggested at the hearing that he had pre-approved the advertising contracts, announced her replacement via Truth Social.

Trump named Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin as her successor, and Mullin was sworn in shortly after. Noem was reassigned to a new role as Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, a White House security initiative focused on cartel disruption in the Western Hemisphere.

ICE officials had assumed the purchase of the Boeing 737 would be shelved with Noem's departure. Instead, the White House moved in the opposite direction. Control of the aircraft was formally removed from DHS, and the administration approved the purchase.

The first lady's office and select Cabinet secretaries will now have access to the plane, officials confirmed to the Journal. A White House spokeswoman declined to comment and referred questions to DHS.

Melania Trump's Expanded Role in Administration Travel

The decision to extend access to the first lady's office adds a dimension that goes beyond routine Cabinet logistics. Melania Trump has maintained a deliberately low public profile during the administration's second term, and this marks a notable expansion of her official travel arrangements. It is not yet clear how frequently she will use the aircraft or whether she will serve as its primary user among those granted access.

The reassignment also raises unresolved questions about cost. No administration official has clarified what additional expenditure will arise from maintenance, dedicated cabin crew and Secret Service logistics tied to Melania's use of the jet. The overall spend on executive aircraft has already drawn attention: DHS spent more than £230 million ($300 million) across three private jets under Noem's tenure, including two Gulfstream G700s purchased in October 2025.

The administration has not announced any formal policy governing when the Boeing 737 will be used for deportation operations versus official travel, or who holds scheduling authority now that the White House has taken direct control of the aircraft away from DHS.

The plane that was meant to fly migrants out of the country will instead fly the administration's own principals around it.