Is there anything less original than a Democrat who constantly rants about climate change — and the need for Americans to bankrupt themselves in order to supposedly save the planet — enjoying the luxuries afforded by unnecessary gas-guzzling private jet travel? While it may be a brand of hypocrisy that John Kerry has perfected, Biden's climate czar apparently has some competition from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
According to an investigation by Americans for Public Trust, Buttigieg has — since taking the helm at the Department of Transportation — flown on taxpayer-funded private jets at least 18 times, according to flight tracking data that APT obtained.
The jet-setting Buttigieg logged the private flights despite his frequent calls for the federal government to take action in order to "curb carbon emissions." For context, the number of private jet flights taken by Buttigieg is more than double the number Buttigieg's predecessor — Secretary Elaine Chao — took in her first two years on the job, yet she was criticized for those flights. Unsurprisingly, Buttigieg has been shielded by Democrats and the mainstream media for his private jet travel that comes at greater taxpayer expense and flies in the face of the Biden administration's so-called "green" policies.
Americans for Public Trust, however, wants to hold Buttigieg to the standard Democrats have set when it comes to taxpayer funded travel and carbon emissions. "For someone so holier-than-thou on reducing emissions, Buttigieg sure doesn’t seem to mind the pollution caused by his literal jet-setting," APT executive director Caitlin Sutherland told Fox News Digital. "This is hypocrisy at its finest, and these troubling expenses to taxpayers must come under immediate scrutiny."
In a Twitter thread on the investigation and subsequent findings, Americans for Public Trust noted that "[e]veryday Americans face flight cancellations and long wait times because Secretary Pete [Buttigieg] has mismanaged air travel. Yet he gets to avoid all that by taking taxpayer-funding private jets to destinations with readily available commercial airline options."
After reviewing the flight tracker data APT obtained from Buttigieg's use of two taxpayer-funded FAA-operated private jets made by Cessna, Fox News Digital explained what some of the trips were for, and it wasn't all strictly official government business:
Buttigieg traveled roundtrip from Washington, D.C., to Las Vegas to promote public works projects in Nevada in August 2021.
Buttigieg used a private jet to fly to multiple states in August as a part of a tour highlighting grants authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. He jetted to Florida, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Ohio, Nevada and New Hampshire during the trip titled "Building a Better America Tour."
Buttigieg used an FAA private jet for a roundtrip journey to Montreal. During the visit, he attended an International Civil Aviation Organization conference. Buttigieg also attended a ceremony during the trip hosted by a large Canadian gay rights organization where he received a prestigious award for his "contributions to the advancement of LGBTQ rights."
The Department of Transportation claims that Secretary Buttigieg "mostly" flies commercially, but that "there are some cases where it is more efficient and/or less expensive" to fly private. DOT claimed the private flights have helped "save thousands of taxpayer dollars," though they did not explain how much or comparisons to what would have been other readily available commercial flights.
🚨 REPORT: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, an advocate of the ESG agenda in the US, has taken at least 18 taxpayer-funded private jet flights since taking office, according to flight tracking data we obtained.
— Americans for Public Trust (@apublictrust) December 12, 2022
via @ThomasCatenacci at @FoxNews https://t.co/hmMhYSkKG3
Beyond the fiscal questions raised by Buttigieg's private travel, there's also the hypocrisy that seems to be a mandatory aspect of being a Democrat climate change warrior. As Fox News Digital's reported noted, it was Buttigieg who announced the Department of Transportation's "climate adaptation and resilience plan" by saying the "climate crisis is here today" and pledging that the DOT would "work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent the worst outcomes of climate change."
Private jets, as Buttigieg knows from those within his own party, are the among the worst offenders when it comes to carbon emissions — he just apparently doesn't think he needs to change his own lifestyle to help the planet. Instead, he expects Americans to be forced into the Biden administration's energy "transition" that has driven fuel and energy prices through the roof and made America less resilient. Another case of Democrats governing with "rules for thee, but not for me" when it comes to their policies.