JD Vance demanded military helicopter transport for son's golf lesson: report

Martha Ross, Bay Area News Group on Jul 16, 2026

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A bombshell new report reveals that Secret Service agents assigned to JD Vance and his family have become increasingly frustrated about the vice president and his office pressing them for “royal treatment,” asking for taxpayer-funded government resources for trips, assignments and other “perks” that they consider “inappropriate” and “unprecedented.”

A demand for one such “perk” came as recently as last Thursday, according to the report by MS Now. The vice president expected a Secret Service detail to accompany one of his young sons on a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter so that the boy could attend a golf lesson.

The planned trip on Marine Two, the call sign for the U.S. Marine Corps helicopter that carries the vice president, was to take Vance’s son to Joint Base Andrews, which includes a secure, world-class golf center, two administration officials told MS Now.

But the trip was canceled at the last minute due to severe thunderstorms and high winds in the Washington, D.C., area, two other people with knowledge of the flight plans told MS Now.

“The Secret Service staff’s complaints about a planned chopper ride for an elementary school student reflects a building morale problem inside the team of agents assigned to shield Vance and his young family,” MS Now reported. Agents have shared their concerns internally, saying they are “fed up” with the last-minute travel demands made by Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, MS Now reported.

These agents say that Vance expects his wife and three children to receive the “royal treatment,” Carol Leonnig, one of the co-authors of the MS Now report, also said.

The vice president, his wife and their children are the first family to reside at the Naval Observatory with young children since former Vice President Al Gore and his family, more than 25 years ago. The Vances share sons Ewan, 9, and Vivek, 6, and daughter Mirabel, 4, with a fourth child expected later this month.

The Secret Service has a statutory duty to protect the vice president and his family at their home and whenever they travel, both locally to school and other activities and when they go on vacation. Former and current Secret Service supervisors told MS Now that prior vice presidents generally avoided using expensive government resources for the convenience of their family or their children’s schedules. In the past, agents also typically drove vice president’s children to local activities in sports utility vehicles.

There is no formal Secret Service policy prohibiting the use of Marine Two to transport any of Vance’s children to local events, MS Now said. But the White House Military Office would have to authorize its use, and operating the aircraft could cost taxpayers between $16,000 and $24,600 per hour, MS Now reported, citing 2022 Defense Department budget estimates.

“That is RIDICULOUS,” one person with knowledge of last week’s planned golf lessons trip told MS Now in a message. “Pence and Harris never pulled anything like that.”

MS Now also reported that the Vances recently requested “last-minute” helicopter rides to locations around Middleburg, Virginia, so they could hunt for houses to buy or rent for family members.

Hastily arranged trips force agents to cancel their days off, drop other plans, race to the location if needed and come up with security plans in a hurry, numerous current and former Secret Service personnel told MS Now. This pattern of hastily arranged trips can quickly erode morale on a protection detail, MS Now also reported.

The vice president’s office didn’t directly address Secret Service agents concerns uncovered by MS Now. In a statement, the Vance’s office said, “The Vances are grateful to the men and women of the U.S. Secret Service who serve our country with distinction. While protecting a vice president with a large policy portfolio and a young and growing family presents a unique challenge, agents of the Secret Service do so with excellence every day.”

In a statement, Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn also said that agents “understand the commitment required” of their job: “frequent travel, and the need for constant flexibility.”

“Nights, weekends, and holidays are part of the job,” the statement continued. “Our agents work tirelessly to ensure protectees’ safety and security, while also preserving normalcy to the extent possible. We are committed to supporting our personnel, which requires around the clock dedication and discipline. This is a job that requires absolute dedication and discipline.”

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