Public service is supposed to be about duty, not luxury. Yet Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem just signed off on the purchase of two Gulfstream G700s, luxury aircraft worth a combined $170 million.

The Coast Guard had requested one replacement plane for an aging jet used for official travel. Somewhere along the way, that single, practical request turned into a pair of top-of-the-line aircraft awarded through a no-bid contract, without a clear explanation or a shred of humility.

Secretary Noem says the planes are necessary for the mission of the Coast Guard, but that is not what the record shows. The Department of Homeland Security originally requested one $50 million aircraft. Now, it is buying two “used” Gulfstreams that the manufacturer markets for billionaires, not public serva

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