JD Vance’s Security Team Reportedly Had an Ohio River’s Water Level Raised During His Birthday Kayaking Trip

Vice President JD Vance’s security detail coordinated for the water level of an Ohio river to be raised to accommodate his recent family boating trip in celebration of his 41st birthday.

According to reports from The Guardian and the Associated Press, the vice president’s security detail from the Secret Service requested that the Army Corps of Engineers change the outflow of a lake into the Little Miami River ahead of Vance’s trip to southwest Ohio on Saturday, Aug. 2.

According to a statement given to the Guardian by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the request from the Secret Service was made to “support safe navigation” for Vance and his family.

Social media posts obtained by the AP that day showed Vance kayaking on the river, which feeds into Ohio’s Caesar Creek Lake.

One source alleged to The Guardian that the request was not only made to support safe boating on the river, but also to create “ideal kayaking conditions.”

Public data from US Geological Survey (USGS) obtained by The Guardian showed a sudden increase in the Little Miami River’s level and a corresponding drop in lake elevation during the dates Vance was in Ohio.

USACE spokesperson Gene Pawlik told the outlet that USACE Louisville had received “a request to temporarily increase outflows from Caesar Creek Lake to support safe navigation of US Secret Service personnel.”

“It was determined that the operations would not adversely affect downstream or upstream water levels,” Pawlik said in an additional statement, per the AP. “Downstream stakeholders were notified in advance of the slight outflow increase, which occurred August 1, 2025.”

The Secret Service also said in a statement to The Guardian that it had worked with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and USACE to plan for motorized watercraft and emergency personnel to operate safely. The agency added that it could not discuss specifics of its operational planning.

The outlet also reported that the USACE has modified outflows to accommodate public use — such as for emergency personnel training and community events — in the past.

Parker Magid, a spokesman for the vice president, said that Vance was unaware the river had been raised.

“The Secret Service often employs protective measures without the knowledge of the Vice President or his staff, as was the case last weekend,” he told the AP.

Several officials criticized Vance for potentially exploiting public infrastructure resources for his personal use amid the Trump administration’s funding cuts for government jobs and scientific research.

U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat from Ohio’s 9th district, called the river rising “outrageous” in a post on X following the report.

“Must be why he wasn’t available to meet about his Big Bonanza for Billionaires Bill which will devastate Ohio manufacturing jobs and our rural hospitals,” she wrote, using a joke name for the Big Beautiful Bill. “The Army Corps of Engineers should share records with relevant committees of jurisdiction in Congress.”

Richard W. Painter, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, also wrote on X that, “It’s outrageous for the Army corps of engineers to spend taxpayer money to increase water flow in a river so @VP can go canoeing when budget cuts to the National Park Service have severely impacted family vacations for everyone else.”

This is not the first time a politician has come under fire for allegedly using public resources for recreation.

The AP reported that as former Vice President Al Gore was running for president in 1999, he went boating on the Connecticut River. Utility officials opened a dam and released 4 billion gallons of water to raise the river’s level. Gore’s staff said at the time that he did not ask for the water to be released.