Noem rival 'rubbing salt in wound' by commandeering her luxury jet for travel: report

Border czar Tom Homan, one of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s fiercest critics, appears to be making use of the same luxury jet fleet that helped land her in hot water before her firing.

According to the Substack newsletter The PunchUp, Homan is “rubbing salt in Kristi Noem’s wounds.” He appears to have flown to Puerto Rico last week aboard a $53 million Gulfstream that was bought in late March, while Noem was still serving as secretary.

Flight-tracking data shows that a Gulfstream G650, tail number N472US, flew from Washington’s Reagan National Airport to San Juan last Tuesday and left the island for West Palm Beach the next day, according to the report.

Homan and Noem’s feud was so vicious that they barely spoke to each other, as their rival factions fought behind the scenes over contracts, immigration operations and who got to call the shots at DHS.

Noem was already under fire for her department’s expensive taste in aircraft. In October 2025, DHS spent roughly $200 million on a pair of Gulfstream G700s and leased a luxurious Boeing 737 for her use, complete with a bedroom, showers and a bar.

Tensions between her and Homan came to a head in January, after two American citizens were killed during the administration’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. Trump sent Homan to take charge of the operation, a move widely seen as a rebuke of Noem, PunchUp reported.

Trump fired Noem on March 5 after two disastrous congressional hearings over a string of scandals. Those included her use of the Boeing 737 to fly around the country with her chief adviser, Corey Lewandowski, with whom she was accused of having a personal affair.

She formally remained in office until her replacement, Markwayne Mullin, was sworn in on March 24.