Yes, the Kamala Harris campaign pays to use Air Force Two

Vice President Kamala Harris continues to travel across the country campaigning in the runup to the presidential election, focusing on swing states from Georgia to Pennsylvania to Arizona.

To get to those stops, she’s often flying in Air Force Two, the official military aircraft that transports the vice president.

Several VERIFY readers wanted to know whether taxpayers are actually footing the bill for that campaign travel.

THE QUESTION

Does the Harris campaign pay to use Air Force Two?

THE SOURCES

• Federal Election Commission guidelines

• FEC filings

• White House Military Office

THE ANSWER

Yes, the Harris campaign pays to use Air Force Two.

WHAT WE FOUND

Federal election law requires candidates pay to use publicly-owned planes for campaign purposes.

Guidelines published by the Federal Election Commission say, “Candidates [or] their authorized committees… must reimburse the federal, state or local government entity providing the aircraft.”

The exact amount required is calculated by counting the number of people on the flight who are there for campaign-related reasons and determining the cost to charter an airplane for that many people.

Campaign funds don’t have to be used for travel that is exclusively related to Harris’ job as vice president, but FEC guidelines say “if a candidate conducts any campaign activity at a given stop, that stop is considered campaign related.”

FEC filings show the Harris campaign pays for travel expenses through a special account managed by the Democratic National Committee.

That account has made numerous payments to White House Military Operations, the office that operates Air Force One and Air Force Two.

Between the start of 2023 and the most recent data at the end of June 2024, the DNC has reimbursed the White House $498,710.15 for campaign flights for both President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.