JD Vance made news for two things this week: He reacted to South Park‘s lampooning of him by posting to X that he had “finally made it,” and his team reportedly had the water level raised in Ohio when his family went on a boating trip.
Per The Guardian, Vance’s team “had the Army Corps of Engineers take the unusual step of changing the outflow of a lake in Ohio to accommodate a recent boating excursion on a family holiday.” Vance was depicted canoeing last weekend, which coincided with his 41st birthday.
The request came from the US Secret Service to “support safe navigation” for Vance’s security detail during a visit to the Little Miami River.
A subsequent Guardian story included a statement from Vance’s office that the vice president and his staff were unaware of the request.
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“The Secret Service often employs protective measures without the knowledge of the vice-president or his staff, as was the case last weekend,” the statement from Vance’s office said.
“These decisions were made solely by agents during our standard advance planning process and did not involve the Office of the Vice President,” the Secret Service said in a statement.
A spokesperson for JD Vance said he and his staff were unaware the Secret Service decided to ask military engineers to raise the water level of the Little Miami River ahead of a family boating trip, which took place on his birthday.
| The Guardian https://t.co/jJRuuMD94W
— David Alexander (@davidalexander5) August 8, 2025
The newspaper reported something else: “One source with knowledge of the matter who communicated with the Guardian anonymously alleged that the outflow request for the Caesar Creek Lake was not just to support the vice-president’s Secret Service detail, but also to create ‘ideal kayaking conditions.'”
It’s not clear what the cost was of carrying out that engineering maneuver. But there were some shocked social media reactions to the whole affair:
Poor little @VP – @JDVance didn’t want to get his toes wet pushing his canoe like the rest of us.
He had the water level raised so his family could go canoeing…https://t.co/7G3ySAx5aF#entitled #VP #Republicans #Democrats #Independents #Ohio pic.twitter.com/M30r6af5NF
— Jerrad Christian (@JerradChristian) August 7, 2025
What a crock of shit. Was the water level raised because JD Vance is too big for his britches or just too big? Either way, glad we burned taxpayers dollars so your special boy could go for a swim! https://t.co/M1mLkCKNJ9 pic.twitter.com/LLQ0gKzRKL
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) August 8, 2025
There was also an angry reaction by a Democratic Congresswoman from Ohio:
Outrageous! 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. The Army Corps of Engineers should share records with relevant committees of jurisdiction in Congress. pic.twitter.com/dVcMKTYoJO
— Rep. Marcy Kaptur (@RepMarcyKaptur) August 7, 2025
Photo courtesy of the Political Tribune media library.
