The vice president celebrated his 41st birthday last week with a family vacation in Ohio – but his team reportedly made a bizarre request to the Army Corps of Engineers
JD Vance’s team is under scrutiny for having the water levels of an Ohio river manipulated to allegedly create “ideal kayaking conditions” for his birthday celebration with family.
The vice president enjoyed his birthday last week on a family getaway in south-western Ohio. On August 2, as he turned 41, Vance and his family were seen canoeing on the Little Miami River.
Before the family’s river adventure, Vance’s staff allegedly asked Army Corps engineers to adjust the outflow from Caesar Creek Lake, which feeds into the river, citing the need to “support safe navigation” for the vice president’s security detail. It comes as people think JD Vance will replace Donald Trump by end of year for two key reasons.
An insider claimed to The Guardian that the outflow adjustment was not solely for the Secret Service agents’ benefit but also to ensure the vice president and his family had “ideal” paddling conditions.
The Mirror US has reached out to Vance’s office regarding the matter. Data from the US Geological Survey (USGS) publicly confirms a notable rise in the river’s water level during Vance’s holiday, which then sharply decreased, reports the Irish Star.
Gene Pawlik, a spokesperson for the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), confirmed that USACE Louisville did indeed receive “a request to temporarily increase outflows from Caesar Creek Lake to support safe navigation of US Secret Service personnel”.
The Secret Service has issued a statement confirming their collaboration with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and USACE to ensure safe operations for motorized watercraft and emergency personnel during a recent visit, without delving into the specifics of their security measures.
The USACE is known to adjust outflows for public events and emergency responder training, but a source informed The Guardian that such “special releases” are rarely approved for individuals.
Pawlik clarified that the Secret Service’s request was in line with the operational guidelines of the Water Control Manual for Caesar Creek Lake and did not deviate from standard procedures. He also mentioned, “It was determined that the operations would not adversely affect downstream or upstream water levels. Downstream stakeholders were notified in advance of the slight outflow increase, which occurred August 1, 2025.”
Although there’s no evidence of illegal activity by Vance’s team, critics have pointed out what they perceive as hypocrisy, criticizing the vice president for what appears to be “special treatment” during his family vacation at a scenic location amidst cuts to National Park Service staffing by his administration.
“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,” Richard Painter, an ethics lawyer who served under George W Bush, posted on X.
Norm Eisen, a former White House special counsel for ethics and government reform, shared that during his time as Obama’s ethics czar, he never received such an “unusual” request to boost a waterway’s outflow just so a government official could enjoy kayaking.
He went on to say that even if such a request had come his way, he would’ve shot it down. He clarified: “While there may well be security-related explanations or justifications that come into the analysis, my reaction is: I don’t care. We shouldn’t be utilising government resources in this way. I never would have allowed it.”
It comes after a lip reader revealed Melania Trumps 3-word question to Donald that hinted at the state of their marriage.
Leave a Reply