EXPOSED: Bernie Sanders’ Private Jet Problem: New PTF Analysis Shows He Emitted More CO₂ on One Tour than an Average American in 5 Years
While Senator Bernie Sanders toured the country this spring to “fight oligarchy,” he did so aboard a private jet, burning enough fuel to undo the carbon-capturing work of nearly 2,900 trees.
In a Fox News exclusive report, Power The Future analyzed Sanders’ travel itinerary across 16 stops on his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, comparing commercial and private aviation options for each leg. Despite nearly every route being serviced by commercial airlines, many with multiple daily nonstop departures for times to meet his next event, Sanders chose the most carbon-intensive form of travel available.
The results are striking:
- 60.7 tonnes of CO₂ were emitted from just five private flights where commercial travel was viable.
- That’s 45 times more CO₂ per leg than flying commercial, per passenger.
- To absorb that carbon would require 2,892 mature trees working for a full year.
It’s hard to overstate the hypocrisy: a self-styled climate champion flying solo in luxury jets while urging everyday Americans to cut back on meat, driving, and heating their homes.
Depending on the day, there are 18 nonstop flights from D.C. to Los Angeles each day, for example. To suggest that scheduling prevented the Vermont senator from flying commercially is absurd. Instead of leading by example, Sanders’ tour became a case study in climate double standards.
The Emissions Breakdown
Below is the estimated carbon output for Sanders’ private flights in metric tonnes of CO₂:
| Flight Leg | Distance (mi) | Private Jet CO2 (tonnes) |
| DC to Las Vegas | 2086 | 10.43 |
| Las Vegas to Phoenix | 255 | 1.275 |
| Phoenix to Denver | 601 | 3.005 |
| Denver to Tucson | 639 | 3.195 |
| Tucson to DC | 1968 | 9.84 |
| DC to Los Angeles | 2310 | 11.55 |
| Los Angeles to Salt Lake City | 590 | 2.95 |
| Salt Lake City to Boise | 291 | 1.455 |
| Boise to Bakersfield | 541 | 2.705 |
| Bakersfield to Sacramento | 248 | 1.24 |
| Sacramento to Missoula | 675 | 3.375 |
| Missoula to DC | 1911 | 9.555 |
| DC to Harrisburg | 96 | 0.48 |
| Harrisburg to Bethlehem | 82 | 0.41 |
| Bethlehem to DC | 137 | 0.685 |
| TOTAL | 62.15 |
That’s 60.74 tonnes of CO₂ in excess emissions or over 44x more emissions than if he flew commercial, the equivalent of:
- Burning 62,600 pounds of coal
- Driving a gas-powered SUV 150,000 miles
- Powering every home in Sanders’s hometown of Burlington, VT for weeks
- Powering 9 U.S. homes for a full year
…and more emissions than the average American produces in five years.
In terms of trees, each mature tree absorbs about 0.021 tonnes of CO₂ per year, according to EPA data. To absorb Sanders’ additional jet emissions than if he just flew commercial, we’d need:
60.74 ÷ 0.021 = 2,892 trees
Sanders Just Can’t Wait in a United Airlines Line Like the Rest of Us
Just last month, Power The Future Executive Director Daniel Turner uncovered a video of Bernie Sanders and AOC deplaning what appears to be a Bombardier Challenger 604 on one of the tour stops. That large-cabin private jet, often used for VIP charter and typically seats 9–12 passengers, burns ~300–350 gallons of jet fuel per hour, and emits roughly 2.5 tonnes of CO₂ per flight hour. When Sanders charters a Challenger 604 just for himself, a guest, and staff, the emissions are especially stark, especially compared to flying commercial, where that impact is shared among hundreds of passengers
Of course, the above figures are conservative estimates and dependent on actual routes, specific aircraft, and weather. But, Sanders just yesterday confirmed to Bret Baier that he did in fact use private jets for his oligarchy tour, spending over $221,000 of donor money on private jets alone. He continued, “think I am going to be sitting on a waiting line at United?” Case in point.
Meanwhile, Power The Future will continue to show Americans what the climate crusade really is: rules for thee, luxury for me.
May 13, 2025