Did JD Vance order a military helicopter to take his son for golf lessons?

The Secret Service agents are "fed up" with last-minute personal travel requests by US Vice President JD Vance and his family.

Among Vance's demands was a request for a US Marine Corps helicopter to drive his young son to a golf lesson. However, it was untimely cancelled at the last minute due to bad weather conditions and high winds in Washington, DC, on Thursday last week, MS Now reported.

The vice president then planned to travel along with his son on a military helicopter to the world-class golf centre at Joint Base Andrews, two other administration officials familiar with his schedule told the publication.

Among Republicans' security detail, the series of last-minute travel requests, cancellations, and everything being made OTR (off the record) has reportedly caused anger and low morale within the detail.

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'Inappropriate' use of govt perks

Secret Service agents have shared their concerns internally regarding Vance and his office pressing them for assignments and trips. Some even called it "inappropriate and unprecedented" use of government resources compared to past vice presidents

The two people and an additional source with knowledge of their travel who spoke on the condition of anonymity told the publication that former vice presidents chose not to use expensive government resources to accommodate their children's schedules; instead, security agents drove the children locally in sport-utility vehicles.

US Second lady Usha Vance and Vice President JD Vance arrive for a military mothers celebration in the East Room of the White House on May 6, 2026, in Washington, DC. File image/AFP

The 2022 Defence Department budget estimated that an operating helicopter costs taxpayers $16,000 (around Rs 15 lakh) and $24,600 (around Rs 23.5 lakh) per hour of use.

One person familiar with the planned golf trip asserted in a message: "That is RIDICULOUS. Pence and Harris never pulled anything like that."

Recently, the Vances were required to buy or rent houses for their expanding family, for which they sought several last-minute chopper trips to the region around Middleburg, Virginia.

Past vice presidents and other administration officials informed the Secret Service of their travel plans days in advance, particularly those involving their families.

Fuelling with frustration, one of the people said, "They change everything. They don’t stick to their schedules, and that costs shit-tons of taxpayer money," the report noted.

'Fed up' Secret Service pushes back on last-minute travel demand

These hastily arranged trips known as “off the record” movements within the Secret Service have also hampered agents' schedules. They reportedly have to cancel their days off, rain-check other plans, and often move to the required location.

According to several current and former Secret Service agents, the vice president's last-minute travel demands force Secret Service staff to come up with their security plans in haste.

Current and former agents told MS NOW the recurring pattern of off-the-record movements can understandably diminish the morale of a protective detail.

Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance disembark Marine Two. Reuters

“The detail is tired of them not giving notice on things and making everything an OTR. “He [Vance] thinks he can still move around like a US Senator," one person familiar with the agents' frustration said.

Another person said Vance's family expects taxpayers to pay to accommodate their kids' schedules. “It’s all the time. The manpower drain," the report quoted the person as saying.

The security staff have now made custom coins and stickers to ridicule the vice president's frequent last-minute travel requests. To do that, they have used Vance’s Secret Service code name, “Bobcat” MS Now reviewed the image.

The Secret Service chose “Bobcat, " which is the mascot for Ohio University, which is in the state where the vice president was raised, the report noted.

A person who asked to speak anonymously about internal discussions also raised concerns, stating that Vance's family may present fresh challenges for some Secret Service agents.

“Nights, weekends part of the job"

Responding to MS NOW’s questions, Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn issued a statement saying there is no room for compromise when it comes to protecting the nation's leaders.

"When US Secret Service Special Agents choose to join a protective detail, they understand the commitment required: long hours, frequent travel, and the need for constant flexibility,” the statement read.

It added: "Nights, weekends, and holidays are part of the job. 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.”

The Vances are reportedly the first family with young children to live at the Naval Observatory since former Vice President Al Gore and his family did more than 25 years ago.

With inputs from agencies