Kerry Under Oath: 'I Do Not Own a Private Jet.' Then: 'My Wife Owned a Plane' (July 13, 2023)

Climate envoy John Kerry came to a House hearing to defend his budget and left having to explain a jet. Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., opened his questions with a jab: “I hope it wasn’t too problematic for your operational team and your private jet to get here” [1].

Kerry fired back later in the exchange. “So, I just do not agree with your facts, which began with a presentation of one of the most outrageously persistent lies that I hear, which is this private jet. We do not own a private jet, I do not own a private jet. I personally have never owned a private jet,” he said [1].

Then Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., produced an article about the Kerry family’s plane. “My wife owned a plane, and sold the plane,” Kerry conceded. Had he flown on it? “Not in a number of years, but I have flown on it, sure” [1].

The video above shows the exchange from the July 13, 2023, hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability. Quotes are from the official hearing record, Serial No. 118-45 [1].

”You Do Not Have a Website”

Before Mills spoke, subcommittee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., pressed Kerry on the secrecy of his office. “It is common practice for every one of our offices that it be open source who works in our offices,” Mast said. “But you do not have a website, and so you do not have that level of transparency” [1].

Mills piled on: “We actually even have websites like LegiStorm and others that tell exactly who is in our offices, so it is kind of funny that the appointee does not” [1].

”Outrageously Persistent Lies”

Kerry’s denial came at the end of a heated round with Mills over China and solar panels. Mills had accused him of putting Chinese solar panels ahead of “the human rights of enslaved Uyghurs.” “No, I have never, ever prioritized bringing in any solar panel that violates the Uyghur Enforcement Act,” Kerry answered [1].

When Mills called it “a China first, America last agenda,” Kerry asked to respond and turned to the jet. “Obviously it is pretty stupid to talk about coming in a private jet from the State Department up here. Just honestly, if that is where you want to go, go there,” he said [1].

”You Just Testified Under Oath”

Waltz picked it up when his turn came. “Mr. Secretary, in exchange with Mr. Mills, you just testified under oath that you never owned a private jet,” he said. He asked to enter into the record “an article here from February 15th of 2023 that the John Kerry family private jet was sold shortly after accusations of climate hypocrisy” [1].

The hearing record lists it as a Washington Examiner article titled “John Kerry’s family sold private jet after criticism over environmental impact” [1].

Kerry then gave a different answer. “I personally, yes, my wife owned a plane, and sold the plane, but that’s been----” he said. “And you flew on that plane?” Waltz asked. “Not in a number of years, but I have flown on it, sure,” Kerry said [1].

“And this article is not then, inaccurate, that your family owned a plane, you flew on a plane?” Waltz asked. “My wife owned a plane,” Kerry said [1].

”That Smacks of Hypocrisy”

Waltz made his point. “This isn’t some kind of partisan gotcha. When we are asking Americans to make serious sacrifices as we transition for the common good, and your family, and or your self are flying around on private jets, that smacks of hypocrisy, it actually hurts your cause, Mr. Secretary,” he said [1].

“I do not fly on a private jet, I fly commercially on all of my responsibilities,” Kerry said. Waltz pressed: “Have you flown on a private jet in a personal or official capacity since you have taken this position?” “Possibly once,” Kerry answered [1].

“No, we are asking you to lead by example, Mr. Secretary,” Waltz said [1].

By the Numbers

1: private jet flight Kerry said he had “possibly” taken since becoming climate envoy [1].
5: military flights Kerry said he took in two and a half years [1].
Feb. 15, 2023: the date of the article Waltz entered into the record [1].
2: Florida Republicans, Mills and Waltz, who pressed Kerry on the jet [1].

What Happened Next

Kerry promised his travel records. Waltz asked whether Kerry would give Congress the records of his “official travel, taxpayer funded, while in this position.” “Sure, happy to do so,” Kerry said [1].

Republicans demanded them. Five days later, Fox News reported that Waltz had written to Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a letter co-led by Reps. Brian Mast and Cory Mills. “We request that you turn over all flight records including commercial, MILAIR, and private travel that were paid with federal funds since the beginning of Special Envoy Kerry’s tenure by August 1, 2023,” the lawmakers wrote [2].

The letter also said that “not only is there no website for SPE Kerry’s office on the official State Department web page, but the identities of his staff – from the most senior to the most junior – were completely unknown before our hearing on July 13” [2].

Trump pulled out of Paris. On Jan. 20, 2025, his first day back in office, President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations to “immediately submit formal written notification of the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement” [3].

For another climate clash on HYGO News, see the page on Biden’s Hurricane Ian visit.