Did kristy noem receive airplanes with no motors
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Executive summary
Reporting in November–December 2025 says Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem authorized a plan to acquire about 10 former Spirit Airlines Boeing 737s that turned out to be owned by third parties and were missing engines; the episode was described in accounts based on a Wall Street Journal report recounted by former Trump aide Corey Lewandowski (sources summarize as 10 aircraft, engineless, not owned by Spirit) [1] [2] [3].
1. What the headlines claim: “Engineless” Spirit jets and a failed purchase
Several outlets and aggregators report that Noem authorized the acquisition of roughly 10 airplanes once associated with Spirit Airlines, only to discover the carrier did not actually own the aircraft and the airframes lacked engines — a central detail repeated across reporting summaries and commentary [1] [3] [2]. Those accounts say the discovery came as the deal was being described publicly and in retellings by Corey Lewandowski, who conveyed the episode to the Wall Street Journal, according to subsequent coverage [2].
2. How the story entered public view: sourcing and retelling
The specific narrative — that Noem “tried to buy 10 engineless Spirit Airlines planes” — is traced in these sources to a Wall Street Journal account as recounted by Corey Lewandowski and then amplified by outlets summarizing the Journal’s reporting [2] [3]. The Guardian, HuffPost and aviation press summarized the same core facts (quantity, ownership confusion, missing engines) in their pieces, relying on that Journal thread or aggregating subsequent reporting [1] [4] [3].
3. What the sources say Noem intended to use the planes for
Reporting indicates the aircraft were intended to expand deportation flight capacity and to replace aging long‑range command-and-control aircraft used by DHS and the Coast Guard; some articles also reported that Noem or her office planned to use aircraft for executive travel, a point raised by critics in context of other jet purchases [3] [4] [5]. The aviation trade coverage framed the acquisition as tied to operational gaps and maintenance problems in existing aircraft fleets [3].
4. Political context and competing narratives
The episode appears against a background of sharp partisan scrutiny over DHS aircraft purchases: critics highlight expensive Gulfstream acquisitions and argue the timing amid a government shutdown and pay issues is tone-deaf, while DHS officials defended the purchases as mission‑critical replacements for aged airframes [5] [6] [7]. Media items that repeat the engineless plane claim also appear alongside partisan commentary and ridicule on social platforms and in press releases [8] [9].
5. What’s clear from the available reporting — and what’s not
Available sources consistently report the same three elements: Noem authorized a purchase, the aircraft were tied to Spirit’s former fleet, and the planes lacked engines or were not owned by Spirit at the time of the attempted deal [1] [3] [2]. These pieces attribute the episode to contacts with the Journal and Lewandowski rather than to primary DHS procurement documents, and available reporting does not include the full procurement contract text or a DHS internal timeline in the cited summaries [2] [3]. Therefore precise procurement dates, the contracting counterparties, and whether a formal contract was signed are not documented in the sources provided (not found in current reporting).
6. Reliability, possible motives, and caution for readers
The story rests on reporting derived from a Journal account and recollections by a partisan actor (Corey Lewandowski), then amplified by outlets that often assign strong political frames; that chain introduces potential for selective emphasis and partisan shading [2] [1]. Aviation trades and mainstream outlets also repeated the central factual claims, which strengthens the basic narrative but does not substitute for primary contract records. Readers should note critics point to pattern‑of‑behavior arguments (expensive jets bought during a shutdown) while defenders emphasize mission needs and replacement of aged aircraft [5] [6] [7].
7. Bottom line and what to watch next
Current reporting documents that Noem authorized an attempted purchase involving about 10 former Spirit aircraft that were not owned by Spirit and reportedly lacked engines; the episode was publicized via a Wall Street Journal retelling and picked up broadly [1] [3] [2]. What is not yet available in these sources are contract documents, procurement correspondence, or an official DHS chronology to confirm who negotiated, who was paid (if anyone), and why the ownership/engine issues were not discovered earlier (not found in current reporting). Follow-up reporting that produces procurement records or DHS statements would be required to fully confirm transactional details and assign responsibility [3] [2].