Reading time: 2 minutes – spotted on The Guardian
Nothing like a small family excursion in kayak to enjoy the holidays … and when you are the vice-president of the United States, if the water level of the lake is too low, it is enough to contact the body of army engineers (USACE) via the secret services to modify the flow and sail to its pleasure. This is in any case what JD Vance has been allowed to make possible his nautical ride on the Caesar Creek Lake, in Ohio, on August 2, 2025, day of his 41e birthday.
While the secret services claim that it was a question of
“Guaranteeing navigation safety” From the number two US, this exploitation of public infrastructure resources for personal leisure purposes detonates singularly at a time when the Government of Donald Trump contrasts the budgets of its administrations-in particular the service of national parks-of several billion, arguing to work against unnecessary expenses.
State leisure
If it is not uncommon for the USACE to modify the water flow of the lakes to allow their use by the public, especially during community events or for the training of rescuers, these “Special authorizations” are usually not granted to individuals, nor on individual demand.
The operation did not have a negative impact on the water levels downstream and upstream, but for Richard Painter, a lawyer specializing in ethics which served in the Bush administration, as for Norm Eisen, former special advisor to the White House for Ethics and Government Reform, such a request is, if not illegal, both hypocritical and scandalous coming from a state, radical austerity imposed by the government on its citizens.
Since January, the National Parks Service (NPS) has lost approximately a quarter of its workforce following budget cuts, which has led to the closure of several sections of different parks and the reduction of opening hours.