Bernie Sanders, AOC fly $15,000-an-hour private jet around western US to ‘fight oligarchy’

On Tuesday, Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez were seen boarding the luxury Bombardier Challenger jet at Meadows Field Airport in Bakersfield after hosting a rally earlier that day, according to Fox News. Later, footage emerged showing the two disembarking in Sacramento, just before their second event of the day in nearby Folsom.

Flight logs reveal the aircraft had also stopped in Salt Lake City and Boise before the Bakersfield stop, lining up with previous events on their tour. The jet, operated by Ventura Air Services, boasts “one of the widest cabins of any business jet” and promises “superior cabin comfort,” according to the company’s website.

The discovery has been met with criticism from Republicans. “Champagne socialists Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez demand Americans surrender their pick-up trucks, air conditioning and meat from the luxe leather seats of their private jets," said Ben Petersen, spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee. "Their hypocrisy is staggering."

Critics have frequently called out Sanders’ use of private planes despite his progressive politics on climate change. His campaign committee, Friends of Bernie Sanders, spent over $221,000 on private jet charters in the first quarter of 2025 alone. This follows the nearly $2 million his failed 2020 presidential campaign spent on similar travel.

Private jets are a frequent target of climate advocates, including Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez themselves. A 2021 report by Transport and Environment noted that private jets emit up to 14 times more carbon per passenger than commercial flights, the outlet reported.

In 2023, Ocasio-Cortez criticized corporate executives for using the jets, saying, “For real, how many private jets do these CEOs need? It is insatiable. It is unacceptable.”

As Sanders has been traveling around the country with Ocasio-Cortez, some have speculated that it is the beginnings of a presidential run for the New York congresswoman. Sanders is 83 years old and would be 87 if he were to run for the White House and win.