Kristi Noem Demands Retraction Over Explosive $464M Jet Report

Vritti JoharMon, October 5, 2026 at 7:10 AM UTC

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Photo by Orlando SIERRA / AFP via Getty Images

Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem went off on The New York Times over a damning report about her contract awards. The fired Trump cabinet member is demanding a full retraction of the outlet’s findings on a multimillion-dollar aircraft deal.

The former DHS secretary disputes reporting about aircraft contracts awarded near the end of her tenure

Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem demanded The New York Times retract its report on controversial aircraft contracts she awarded, according to the outlet’s findings published this week.

The Times reported that Noem awarded lucrative no-competition contracts in her final days leading the department. DHS purchased five luxury jets from Daedalus Aviation Corporation, a Virginia-based company chaired by pro-Trump donor William Walters. The company had never previously received a government contract.

DHS paid $108 million for a Boeing 737 Max 8 that Daedalus had bought for just $90 million months earlier. The agency also acquired two smaller luxury jets for $106 million, though Daedalus had purchased them for $83 million. Aviation experts told the Times that two additional 20-year-old Boeing 737s cost $45 million each, far exceeding market value.

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Noem fired back on social media, calling the reporting “factually incorrect.” She argued that the article “unfairly prejudices readers and creates an inference of impropriety that is not supported by the underlying facts.” She also claimed journalists received “numerous” clarifications before publication.

Walters donated $10,000 to a super PAC connected with Noem during the 2024 presidential election. He also contributed to the pro-Trump America First Policy Institute. The super PAC’s sister nonprofit paid Noem’s chief adviser Corey Lewandowski over $265,000 for consulting work.

DHS paid Daedalus approximately $464 million total under Noem for ten unused aircraft. Her successor, Markwayne Mullin, distanced the department from the purchases. DHS stated the contracts “were made and approved by department leadership before Secretary Mullin was sworn in.”

Trump fired Noem via Truth Social in March over multiple scandals. These included her alleged affair with Lewandowski and a $220 million advertising campaign prominently featuring herself on horseback.

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Source: “AOL Breaking”