Fact check: Which president ok'd the purchase of jets for Kristi Noem

1. Who actually bought the jets — the agency, not the White House

Reporting shows the transaction was handled within the Department of Homeland Security procurement process, with the U.S. Coast Guard described as the acquiring component for two Gulfstream G700 aircraft intended for senior DHS officials, including Secretary Noem. Journalists and a House Appropriations Committee release frame this as an agency-level acquisition made through DHS contracting channels rather than an executive order or a direct presidential authorization. The public documents and news summaries focus on procurement decisions and contract execution within DHS and the Coast Guard, absent any mention of a presidential role ^{[1] [2] [4]}.

2. News outlets and committee statements are unanimous about missing presidential attribution

Multiple outlets reporting between October 18 and October 21, 2025, detail the cost—reported between roughly $172 million and $200 million depending on what’s included—and the timing amid a shutdown, and they quote lawmakers and DHS officials on justification and procurement procedures. None of these contemporaneous reports names a president who approved the purchase; instead, they document oversight queries and internal DHS explanations about safety and operational need. That consistent omission across independent reports suggests there is no available record publicly attributing approval to the president ^{[1] [4] [2] [3]}.

3. What sources emphasize: cost, timing, and congressional scrutiny

News stories and the House Appropriations Committee press release emphasize the high price and the optics of approving luxury aircraft purchases during a government shutdown. Reports cite figures approaching $172 million to $200 million and relay that lawmakers see the acquisition as prioritizing comfort over necessity. Committee materials and journalists stress investigatory and oversight angles—requests for documentation, justifications, and whether procurement rules were followed—reflecting political accountability questions directed at DHS leadership, not at the White House ^{[4] [3]}.

4. What DHS and Coast Guard framing has emphasized — safety and mission needs

In earlier coverage, DHS and Coast Guard statements are reported as framing the acquisition as tied to operational and safety considerations for transporting senior officials during complex missions. The administration of procurement decisions within DHS is characterized as routine contracting to meet agency requirements, with officials defending the selection of aircraft types and contract timing. Those public defenses have been recorded in October 2025 reporting, again without implying presidential involvement in the procurement approval chain ^{[2] [1]}.

5. Historical context and relevant precedents — agency buys vs. presidential direction

Government aircraft procurements are typically executed by agencies through their acquisition offices with congressional oversight, not via discrete presidential approvals. Past reporting about state and federal aircraft usage shows that while presidents set broad policy priorities and budgets, specific contracting authority and execution rests with agencies and their procurement officials. The available October 2025 sources align with that pattern: they identify DHS and Coast Guard as the actors, and congressional scrutiny as the oversight mechanism, not presidential directives ^{[4] [5]}.

6. Gaps in the public record — what’s not in the articles

None of the reviewed sources cite a contract, memo, or public statement showing a presidential signature, order, or instruction approving the purchase. The absence of such documentation in contemporaneous reporting from October 18–21, 2025, leaves a factual void: if a president had explicitly authorized the buy, that link has not been presented in the reporting or committee releases. This absence is meaningful because routine news investigations and congressional complaints would typically flag a direct White House role if documentary evidence existed ^{[1] [4] [6]}.

7. Competing narratives and possible political agendas to note

Coverage includes partisan lines: congressional critics use the purchase to attack DHS leadership choices amid fiscal tensions, while DHS defenders argue operational necessity. Both frames are evident in the sources and suggest political motivations—oversight pressure from lawmakers and defensive positioning by agency officials. Readers should note that criticism emphasizing “luxury” and cost may aim to score political points, while agency statements stressing safety aim to justify procurement; neither body of statements establishes presidential approval ^{[4] [3]}.

8. Bottom line for the claim: “Which president ok’d the purchase?”

Based on the analyzed reporting and committee communications from October 2025, there is no documented evidence that any president personally approved or ordered the purchase of the Gulfstream jets tied to Secretary Noem. The acquisition is reported as an agency procurement executed by DHS/Coast Guard contracting offices and now under congressional scrutiny; absent explicit documentation attributing approval to a president, the claim that a president “ok’d” the purchase is unsupported by the available sources ^{[1] [2] [3]}.