Post

MeidasTouch
@meidastouch.com

Insanity: The deportation flights Trump used military jets for—that Mexico refused to accept—cost the U.S. up to $852,000 per flight to attempt to deport just 80 migrants at a time. To compare, flights directly chartered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement cost just $8,577.

6.6K reposts17.4K likes

jenniedahlby.bsky.social
@jenniedahlby.bsky.social

I didn't realize you had direct experience in the Air Force flying the aircraft discussed. The flight to Mexico never took off. The two C-17s that flew to Guatemala would only incur a few hours of additional flight if taking an alternate route, which happens quite often. It did not cost $850,00+

Dianne D
@dianned.bsky.social

Everything he does is splashy, he thinks it's a good look. Where are the fiscal conservatives on this? Wasteful, greedy, look the other way new MAGA trump party.

Mima
@nrg10.bsky.social

Yes I saw that about Michigan and I as well was bewildered! Was hoping it would stay blue but looks like I might be wrong! Was raised in Michigan till I left! Thanks for all you do! Harder in red states!

Rob 🐸 🇺🇦🇨🇦🇲🇽
@rdoch82.bsky.social

No disagreement that majority would fall into that category but what about those more traditional R(s)? Shouldn’t the democrats being asking why we are wasting this money when so much of us are struggling? People were upset about the economy so let’s keep talking about it.

Sara
@icanhearmusic.bsky.social

@meidastouch.com I want to know what happened to the passengers on board after Mexico refused to let the aircraft land. I doubt they were brought back into U.S. Where are the passengers? Is this being investigated? Is this why Colombia is repatriating its refugees all of a sudden w/their own planes?

Speedy
@deportdjt.bsky.social

Of course, only Not-My-President the Dimwitted Jackass would run an operation like this, just like he did with his businesses. Ninety degree nosedive straight into the ground. This time, a good portion of mankind, certainly us citizens might be the carnage. Poof What year is this? Fuck!

Optimistic Justice Warrior
@rozoruminations.bsky.social

The US already spent the week amassing military troops at the US-Mexico border. The attempt to land a military plane in Mexico's territory, without prior permission, is a violation of The 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention). Together, they look like an Act of War.

Wut u say? 👀
@wut-u-say.bsky.social

So who is pocketing the $$ from those expensive chartered flights? Possibly or probably a friend or acquaintance of the felon president?? It’s all one big enormous circle back to the felon’s pockets. We are all pawns in this game to turn us all into peasants to feed the king. I’m already exhausted.

graham-o.bsky.social
@graham-o.bsky.social

What makes you think Guatemala will accept any flights ? I suspect (but am not sure) there won’t be many countries willing to let US military flights land without knowing exactly who is on the flight and have their passport details to check in advance.

Jake
@djjakej.bsky.social

Buy the big 3 Private prison stock! Up 110% going to 300? 400% Depends on if countries once tariffed 25% refuse all migrant flights! So then the Camps are all Private Prison Concentration Camps! No soap no toothpaste no brushes! No blankets no pillows required! Supreme Court ruled last tRump term!

This We Will Defend
@thiswewilldefend.bsky.social

We learned this lesson in Florida when DeSantis flew charter flights to move immigrants from Texas to Massachusetts. He spent $1.2 million to move 50 people; that’s $24,000 each. Of course, he chartered the plane from a major donor. And MAGA still rejected him.

A Blue Morpho
@abluemorpho.bsky.social

This is gold for the democrats if they choose to scream holy heck about it just like the republicans did and made so many believe. What is the evidence of this, pls, because this really needs to be shown and spread everywhere speaking even more to their hypocrisy. Ty!!

The Void
@ratchman.bsky.social

That would be in excess of $10 billion dollars to get 1 million American citizens deported. Just on flight costs alone. Now add it all the other costs, and you start to see why these policies are so self-defeating. America's racism is going to bankrupt them.

Kim
@kimcat44.bsky.social

Trump is spending nearly a million dollars per flight to illegally deport immigrants without thoroughly vetting to see if they are in fact citizens, or here legally, and without giving them due process. This is brutal and wasteful. Our tax dollars are being spent on ethnic cleansing.

dragonmom68.bsky.social
@dragonmom68.bsky.social

Oh he didn't just use military Jets. He used A troop Carrier largest plane we ever have which is not a jet but a prop and holds about 50 people for eight people. In one instance, he's busy keeping everybody looking in one place while things much much worse are brewing behind the scenes.

ozzieski.bsky.social
@ozzieski.bsky.social

Beyond insanity. The worthless Republicans are such cowards. Every single one of them are unAmerican as hell. Where is their fucking outrage. Think if any of this shit in the last 5 days was done by a Democrat. Our garbage media would be crucifying him/her. FU all.

KathleenRA13
@kayjayra13.bsky.social

Trump only cares about costs if he has to pay them personally. The attention and respect he receives from white nationalists and groups of soldiers, police and veteran extremists, etc. he and his cohorts radicalized are priceless to him. On Jan. 6th we watched ideologies manifest into violence.

Rune Grey
@runegrey.bsky.social

Everything i expensive in the military. Chartered flights with security are already pretty expensive, but moving military assets to accomplish a mission is worse because there's none of the at scale savings as there is with commercial flights. It's like every piece of clothing being bespoke.

Thomas
@hawkeyetownsend.bsky.social

It's all political theater. None of them care about immigration. They care about optics, fear, intimidation, control, grift, perpetuation of the patriarchy, subjugation of women, white supremacy, screwing the working class....

EpicJourneyMan
@epicjourneyman.bsky.social

I believe the one that got turned away in Mexico was a trial balloon to see how they would react. Those C-17s can carry the Rapid Dragon system and launch 45 cruise missiles, making it a bomber. They are lucky Mexico didn’t shoot it down or at least intercept it with fighters and ground it.

SteveG
@trenchdiggr.bsky.social

Journalists - you've been gifted a question by the news gods, don't blow it. "Mr President, why is your DoD paying nearly $1M of taxpayer money per deportation flight when ICE has traditionally paid under $10K? Is this not counter to the efficiency promises you made in establishing DOGE?"

Alana
@alanamoon.bsky.social

He used the military because he wanted to make a big show of it. Boost his ego when his base praises him. Also wanted to use it as a show of force but never thought they might deny entry. Surprised he didn’t put parachutes on them & air drop them since they don’t count as humans to him or his base🤬

Alana
@alanamoon.bsky.social

I’m sure it’s already been suggested to him by one of his loyalists. None of them have a heart. Like I said above I’ve seen maga suggesting it, and way worse, in posts on facebook. Look up NBC news fb posts about this and you’ll see.

graham-o.bsky.social
@graham-o.bsky.social

I think he used the military as the thought that flight rules and aviation controls do t apply to them and they could just fly overseas and barge their way in. I always wanted to know how he will send people to countries who don’t like the USA.

Alana
@alanamoon.bsky.social

I’ve seen MAGA suggesting that he should do this in posts on facebook along with some other even more horrible things. Their lack of any empathy or compassion is astounding. They literally do not care that immigrants are humans as well and should be treated as such. 🤬😡

TrueNorthStrong
@truenorthstrong1.bsky.social

Karma baby. He’s letting the US crumble. He’s alienating and weakening the country. Clearly, other countries are proving they do not support his policies and aren’t willing to have his problems dumped on them. He’s going to lose all the US trading partners and allies.

Lisa
@liszs.bsky.social

I didn’t know this! Thank you for the info!! Is that why Elon is once again sending emails to X employees about its stagnant usage and revenue?

Mrlky
@mrlky.bsky.social

One of the reasons the deportations are going to stop is that Donnie does not have the $40-50 billion it takes to deport 1 million undocumented per year. He will operate within the ICE budget but does not have money to ramp up beyond that.

M
@msderohanes.bsky.social

Everything done with a military plane is more expensive than the commercial air flight. From equipment, to maintenance, to fuel, to staff, to airport, to air traffic contorl. Every part of that process costs more bc it's classified, done with specialized equipment & run by highly trained personnel.

cdjoyce.bsky.social
@cdjoyce.bsky.social

It’s been a lot of years since I had to submit data for USAF CPFH calculations. I didn’t find a regulation stating how to calculate but this was from a 2015 Rand Corp paper. I assume it’s pretty much the same. CPFH allows DoD to charge other agencies and compare with commercial transport cost.

Kelli Beth
@kellibeth.bsky.social

Every squadron and every pilot require training hours. These flights will be expensed as training flights and therefore don’t increase the operating costs of the squadrons conducting the flights.

NotGoingBack
@nooneletgo.bsky.social

As a complete aside, this is exactly what all of us should be doing *especially* when we see a news story that confirms our prior beliefs (e.g. for all the talk of gov't efficiency this admin. will throw away money to make the lives of others miserable). Never hesitate to ask.

chitownnancy.bsky.social
@chitownnancy.bsky.social

And cast it aside for the performance value. The MAGA base gets to see pics of migrants being loaded on military aircraft and then get to see a strongman announce tariffs when countries refuse to get them land. This was a calculated move, cost be damned.

River Tide
@eastslope.bsky.social

These seem complete and comparable. Fuel is less now but other costs likely somewhat higher, so IDK. A 12 hr roundtrip in a C-130 would be <$80,000. The same flight time (which obviously would extend further) would be just under $200,000 in the C-17. Both of these are govt agency rates.

Kenneth L. Farmer
@1-dadinusa.bsky.social

DJT and his corrupt cabinet are trying to drive the majority population to third-world status in this country. In a country with more guns than people, this is a bad decision. Millions of enemies in your back yard fighting for survival will put a target on the people in power. Just a warning....

Michelle Summers
@cmichellesummers.bsky.social

Sounds like systemetized embezzlement. Is that why T Rump is trying to purge inspector generals? Is this theft from Social Security solvency going to be laundered through billionaire Super PACs??? Obviously, campaign and voting laws meant to ensure democracy are currently uninforcable!