River level raised for JD Vance's birthday kayak trip
The US Secret Service said it requested the increased water flow for the Little Miami River, first reported by The Guardian.
This was to ensure motorised watercraft and emergency personnel "could operate safely" while protecting the Republican vice president, whose home is in Cincinnati.
But critics immediately blasted the action as a sign of the vice president's entitlement, particularly given the Trump administration's focus on slashing government spending.
Richard W. Painter, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, was scathing.
He said 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."
The Corps of Engineers' Louisville District temporarily increased outflows from the Caesar Creek Lake in southwest Ohio into the Little Miami "to support safe navigation of US Secret Service personnel," said spokesperson Gene Pawlik.
He said the move met operational criteria and fell within normal practice.
"It was determined that the operations would not adversely affect downstream or upstream water levels," the corps said in a statement.
"Downstream stakeholders were notified in advance of the slight outflow increase, which occurred on August 1, 2025." Vance's birthday was on August 2.
The department provided two natural resources officers to assist the Secret Service with the Vance event, spokesperson Karina Cheung said.
The Vance family has already become accustomed to certain accommodations being made as they move about the world.
During a recent trip to Italy, the Roman Colosseum was closed to the public so that his wife, Usha, and their children could take a tour, sparking anger among some tourists.
The Taj Mahal was also closed to visitors during the Vance family's visit to India.
Such special treatment isn't reserved for one political party.
When Democratic Vice President Al Gore, then a presidential candidate, paddled down the Connecticut River for a photo opportunity in 1999, utility officials had opened a dam and released four billion gallons of water to raise the river's level.
That request, too, came after a review of the area by the Secret Service — and Gore also experienced political pushback.
Gore's campaign said at the time that he did not ask for the water to be released.
A spokesman for Vance's office declined immediate comment.
US Vice President JD Vance's security detail had an Ohio river's water level raised last week to accommodate a kayaking trip he and his family took to celebrate his 41st birthday.
The US Secret Service said it requested the increased water flow for the Little Miami River, first reported by The Guardian.
This was to ensure motorised watercraft and emergency personnel "could operate safely" while protecting the Republican vice president, whose home is in Cincinnati.
But critics immediately blasted the action as a sign of the vice president's entitlement, particularly given the Trump administration's focus on slashing government spending.
Richard W. Painter, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, was scathing.
He said 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."
The Corps of Engineers' Louisville District temporarily increased outflows from the Caesar Creek Lake in southwest Ohio into the Little Miami "to support safe navigation of US Secret Service personnel," said spokesperson Gene Pawlik.
He said the move met operational criteria and fell within normal practice.
"It was determined that the operations would not adversely affect downstream or upstream water levels," the corps said in a statement.
"Downstream stakeholders were notified in advance of the slight outflow increase, which occurred on August 1, 2025." Vance's birthday was on August 2.
The department provided two natural resources officers to assist the Secret Service with the Vance event, spokesperson Karina Cheung said.
The Vance family has already become accustomed to certain accommodations being made as they move about the world.
During a recent trip to Italy, the Roman Colosseum was closed to the public so that his wife, Usha, and their children could take a tour, sparking anger among some tourists.
The Taj Mahal was also closed to visitors during the Vance family's visit to India.
Such special treatment isn't reserved for one political party.
When Democratic Vice President Al Gore, then a presidential candidate, paddled down the Connecticut River for a photo opportunity in 1999, utility officials had opened a dam and released four billion gallons of water to raise the river's level.
That request, too, came after a review of the area by the Secret Service — and Gore also experienced political pushback.
Gore's campaign said at the time that he did not ask for the water to be released.
A spokesman for Vance's office declined immediate comment.
US Vice President JD Vance's security detail had an Ohio river's water level raised last week to accommodate a kayaking trip he and his family took to celebrate his 41st birthday.
The US Secret Service said it requested the increased water flow for the Little Miami River, first reported by The Guardian.
This was to ensure motorised watercraft and emergency personnel "could operate safely" while protecting the Republican vice president, whose home is in Cincinnati.
But critics immediately blasted the action as a sign of the vice president's entitlement, particularly given the Trump administration's focus on slashing government spending.
Richard W. Painter, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, was scathing.
He said 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."
The Corps of Engineers' Louisville District temporarily increased outflows from the Caesar Creek Lake in southwest Ohio into the Little Miami "to support safe navigation of US Secret Service personnel," said spokesperson Gene Pawlik.
He said the move met operational criteria and fell within normal practice.
"It was determined that the operations would not adversely affect downstream or upstream water levels," the corps said in a statement.
"Downstream stakeholders were notified in advance of the slight outflow increase, which occurred on August 1, 2025." Vance's birthday was on August 2.
The department provided two natural resources officers to assist the Secret Service with the Vance event, spokesperson Karina Cheung said.
The Vance family has already become accustomed to certain accommodations being made as they move about the world.
During a recent trip to Italy, the Roman Colosseum was closed to the public so that his wife, Usha, and their children could take a tour, sparking anger among some tourists.
The Taj Mahal was also closed to visitors during the Vance family's visit to India.
Such special treatment isn't reserved for one political party.
When Democratic Vice President Al Gore, then a presidential candidate, paddled down the Connecticut River for a photo opportunity in 1999, utility officials had opened a dam and released four billion gallons of water to raise the river's level.
That request, too, came after a review of the area by the Secret Service — and Gore also experienced political pushback.
Gore's campaign said at the time that he did not ask for the water to be released.
A spokesman for Vance's office declined immediate comment.
US Vice President JD Vance's security detail had an Ohio river's water level raised last week to accommodate a kayaking trip he and his family took to celebrate his 41st birthday.
The US Secret Service said it requested the increased water flow for the Little Miami River, first reported by The Guardian.
This was to ensure motorised watercraft and emergency personnel "could operate safely" while protecting the Republican vice president, whose home is in Cincinnati.
But critics immediately blasted the action as a sign of the vice president's entitlement, particularly given the Trump administration's focus on slashing government spending.
Richard W. Painter, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, was scathing.
He said 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."
The Corps of Engineers' Louisville District temporarily increased outflows from the Caesar Creek Lake in southwest Ohio into the Little Miami "to support safe navigation of US Secret Service personnel," said spokesperson Gene Pawlik.
He said the move met operational criteria and fell within normal practice.
"It was determined that the operations would not adversely affect downstream or upstream water levels," the corps said in a statement.
"Downstream stakeholders were notified in advance of the slight outflow increase, which occurred on August 1, 2025." Vance's birthday was on August 2.
The department provided two natural resources officers to assist the Secret Service with the Vance event, spokesperson Karina Cheung said.
The Vance family has already become accustomed to certain accommodations being made as they move about the world.
During a recent trip to Italy, the Roman Colosseum was closed to the public so that his wife, Usha, and their children could take a tour, sparking anger among some tourists.
The Taj Mahal was also closed to visitors during the Vance family's visit to India.
Such special treatment isn't reserved for one political party.
When Democratic Vice President Al Gore, then a presidential candidate, paddled down the Connecticut River for a photo opportunity in 1999, utility officials had opened a dam and released four billion gallons of water to raise the river's level.
That request, too, came after a review of the area by the Secret Service — and Gore also experienced political pushback.
Gore's campaign said at the time that he did not ask for the water to be released.
A spokesman for Vance's office declined immediate comment.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
5 hours ago
- West Australian
JD Vance to kick off UK visit with tensions high
US Vice President JD Vance kicks off a trip in the United Kingdom with a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Friday that will bring renewed scrutiny of Vance's sharp criticism of Britain and its governing Labour Party. Vance, his wife, Usha, and their three young children are expected to land in London at the start of a trip that includes staying with Lammy at Chevening, the country residence used by the foreign minister. They will later stay in the Cotswolds, a picturesque area of English countryside and a popular retreat for wealthy and influential figures, from footballers and film stars to media and political figures. The visit to the United Kingdom comes amid heightened transatlantic tensions, domestic political shifts in both countries and increased attention on Vance's foreign policy views as he emerges as a key figure in President Donald Trump's administration. A source familiar with the planning described the trip as a working visit that will include several official engagements, meetings and visits to cultural sites. Vance is also expected to meet with US troops. Vance has championed an America First foreign policy and once said last year's election victory for the centre-left Labour Party meant Britain was "maybe" the first "truly Islamist" country with a nuclear weapon. He also attacked the United Kingdom for undermining freedom of speech and placing the "basic liberties of religious Britons in the crosshairs." Lammy once called Trump a "far right extremist" and a "neo-Nazi" but since coming to power has brushed off his remarks as "old news." Despite their differences, the pair has developed a warm friendship, bonding over their difficult childhoods and shared Christian faith, according to two officials familiar with the relationship. Lammy attended mass at the vice president's Washington residence during a visit in March, and the two leaders met again in Rome in May for Pope Leo XIV's inaugural Mass, the officials said. The bilateral meeting on Friday lacks a formal agenda, officials said, but is likely to touch on the Ukraine and Gaza crises, along with trade issues. The United Kingdom has been pushing Trump to support Ukraine in its war with Russia and to accelerate efforts to bring a humanitarian crisis in Gaza to an end. But Lammy is unlikely to press aggressively, said Bronwen Maddox, a director at the think tank Chatham House. "It's a chance to get UK perspective in there, but they're not looking for conflict," Maddox said, adding that British officials are content with the trade deal they struck with Trump. Vance's visit comes shortly after Trump travelled to Scotland for a private visit that included meetings with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who struck a framework trade agreement with the US imposing a 15 per cent import tariff on most European Union goods. Trump is also scheduled for a full state visit to the United Kingdom in September, making him the first elected political leader in modern times to be hosted for two state visits by a British monarch.
Canberra Times
5 hours ago
- Canberra Times
JD Vance to kick off UK visit with tensions high
Vance has championed an America First foreign policy and once said last year's election victory for the centre-left Labour Party meant Britain was "maybe" the first "truly Islamist" country with a nuclear weapon. He also attacked the United Kingdom for undermining freedom of speech and placing the "basic liberties of religious Britons in the crosshairs."
Perth Now
5 hours ago
- Perth Now
JD Vance to kick off UK visit with tensions high
US Vice President JD Vance kicks off a trip in the United Kingdom with a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Friday that will bring renewed scrutiny of Vance's sharp criticism of Britain and its governing Labour Party. Vance, his wife, Usha, and their three young children are expected to land in London at the start of a trip that includes staying with Lammy at Chevening, the country residence used by the foreign minister. They will later stay in the Cotswolds, a picturesque area of English countryside and a popular retreat for wealthy and influential figures, from footballers and film stars to media and political figures. The visit to the United Kingdom comes amid heightened transatlantic tensions, domestic political shifts in both countries and increased attention on Vance's foreign policy views as he emerges as a key figure in President Donald Trump's administration. A source familiar with the planning described the trip as a working visit that will include several official engagements, meetings and visits to cultural sites. Vance is also expected to meet with US troops. Vance has championed an America First foreign policy and once said last year's election victory for the centre-left Labour Party meant Britain was "maybe" the first "truly Islamist" country with a nuclear weapon. He also attacked the United Kingdom for undermining freedom of speech and placing the "basic liberties of religious Britons in the crosshairs." Lammy once called Trump a "far right extremist" and a "neo-Nazi" but since coming to power has brushed off his remarks as "old news." Despite their differences, the pair has developed a warm friendship, bonding over their difficult childhoods and shared Christian faith, according to two officials familiar with the relationship. Lammy attended mass at the vice president's Washington residence during a visit in March, and the two leaders met again in Rome in May for Pope Leo XIV's inaugural Mass, the officials said. The bilateral meeting on Friday lacks a formal agenda, officials said, but is likely to touch on the Ukraine and Gaza crises, along with trade issues. The United Kingdom has been pushing Trump to support Ukraine in its war with Russia and to accelerate efforts to bring a humanitarian crisis in Gaza to an end. But Lammy is unlikely to press aggressively, said Bronwen Maddox, a director at the think tank Chatham House. "It's a chance to get UK perspective in there, but they're not looking for conflict," Maddox said, adding that British officials are content with the trade deal they struck with Trump. Vance's visit comes shortly after Trump travelled to Scotland for a private visit that included meetings with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who struck a framework trade agreement with the US imposing a 15 per cent import tariff on most European Union goods. Trump is also scheduled for a full state visit to the United Kingdom in September, making him the first elected political leader in modern times to be hosted for two state visits by a British monarch.
