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 U.S. Secret Service said it requested the increased waterflow for the Little Miami River, first reported by The Guardian, to ensure motorized 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 administration Trump administration's [focus on slashing government spending](https://apnews.com/article/doge-firings-layoffs-federal-government-workers-musk-d33cdd7872d64d2bdd8fe70c28652654).

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said its Louisville District temporarily increased outflows from the Caesar Creek Lake in southwest Ohio into the Little Miami “to support safe navigation of U.S. Secret Service personnel.” They 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 August 1, 2025.” Vance's birthday was on Aug. 2.

AP Video shot by Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos