On his birthday, JD Vance embarked on a kayaking trip, prompting the Secret Service to elevate the river level.
In a recent controversy, Vice President JD Vance celebrated his 41st birthday with a kayaking trip on the Little Miami River in Ohio, an event that has raised questions about the use of government resources.
While the U.S. Secret Service requested an increased waterflow for the Little Miami River to ensure safe navigation for the trip, some have criticised the move as a sign of entitlement, given the Trump administration's focus on slashing government spending.
The Corps of Engineers temporarily increased outflows from Caesar Creek Lake into the Little Miami River to support safe navigation for the Secret Service. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources provided two natural resources officers to assist the Secret Service with the event. Downstream stakeholders were notified in advance of the slight outflow increase, which occurred on August 1, 2025 (while Vance's birthday was on Aug. 2).
The Caesar Creek Lake, located in Ohio, has a horsepower designation of unlimited and has five launch ramps. It also boasts a marina, campground, and lodge on site. The Corps of Engineers' move met operational criteria and fell within normal practice. However, the financial impact of raising the river was not addressed by the Corps.
Richard W. Painter, a former White House ethics lawyer, criticised the use of taxpayer money to raise the river's water level for Vance's trip, citing it as an example of political corruption. The misuse of government resources for private gain—including environmental manipulation—fits the well-documented pattern of political corruption, where officials exploit their power for personal advantages.
This is not the first time a political figure has faced criticism for using government resources for personal recreational purposes. In 1999, Democratic Vice President Al Gore, then a presidential candidate, paddled down the Connecticut River, and utility officials released 4 billion gallons of water to raise the river's level.
Critics have accused both political parties of providing special treatment to their leaders, with the Vance family receiving certain accommodations during their travels, including the closure of the Roman Colosseum in Italy and the Taj Mahal in India for private tours.
Agencies like the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) work to enforce ethical standards and prevent misuse, but the issue of political corruption remains a subject of ongoing scrutiny and reforms.
- The controversy surrounding Vice President JD Vance's kayaking trip on the Little Miami River has raised questions about not just the use of government resources, but also the broader issue of policy and legislation regarding war-and-conflicts, crime-and-justice, and general-news, as the misuse of government resources for private gain is a well-documented pattern in politics.
- The Casesar Creek Lake incident, where the Corps of Engineers raised the river's water level for Vance's kayaking trip, is a prime example of the ongoing scrutiny on accidents, such as car-accidents, and their potential connection to political corruption, as the manipulation of environmental conditions for private gain can be considered a form of abuse of power.
- Agencies like the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) work to enforce ethical standards and prevent misuse in areas such as policy-and-legislation, politics, crime-and-justice, and accidents, but given the case of the Little Miami River incident and past instances of political figures using government resources for personal recreational purposes, the issue of political corruption remains a subject of ongoing reforms and public debate.
