They Found Money for Trump’s Jet—But Not for Hungry Kids
By Ricky Dana, Candidate for U.S. House, Missouri District 4
Turns out the Pentagon can find almost a billion dollars for a jet—but not for hungry kids or freezing women and children stuck in cages at a swamp detention camp. Let’s talk about it.
🚨 Nearly $1 Billion Secretly Diverted
According to multiple reports, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth secretly diverted $934 million from the Sentinel nuclear modernization program. That money went to help pay for a Boeing 747-8 plane—Trump’s new version of Air Force One, which he calls part of his presidential library.
Problem is, that transfer happened with no approval from Congress. That’s a big legal no-no. Federal law says the Pentagon has to inform Congress and get approval when shifting this kind of money. But they did it anyway.
💔 Meanwhile, People Are Freezing and Starving
Down in Florida, over 1,000 people—many of them women and children—are being held in a facility called “Alligator Alcatraz.” It’s a detention center in the middle of the Everglades, and conditions are inhumane. Reports say:
- People are being fed food with worms and maggots
- They sleep on wet floors with sewage nearby
- No hot food, no medical care, and no privacy
- Lights are kept on 24/7, causing stress and sleep issues
- Mosquitoes and snakes crawl into sleeping areas
One woman said they only get to shower once every few days, and that guards even took her Bible. There are reports of tents flooding, medicine being denied, and kids left cold at night.
📢 So Where Are Our Priorities?
If we have nearly a billion dollars for a luxury jet that Trump wants to show off, but can’t give kids warm beds and a hot meal, something is deeply wrong.
As your next congressman from rural Missouri, I won’t stand for this kind of cruelty or misuse of our national defense dollars. I’ll fight for working families, for human dignity, and for honest budgets that reflect our real values—not Trump’s ego.
🧾 Sources
The Daily Beast – Hegseth’s secret transfer of nuclear funds
Washington Post – Inside Alligator Alcatraz
The Guardian – Abuse at Florida detention site