Secret Service 'Fed Up' With Vance Family's Last-Minute Travel Demands: Report

Members of the US Secret Service assigned to protect Vice President JD Vance are reportedly growing frustrated over what they describe as frequent last-minute travel requests and schedule changes, with some saying morale within the team has taken a serious hit.

According to MS Now, one incident that particularly angered agents involved a request to fly Vance and his young son across Washington aboard Marine Two for a golf lesson. The trip never took place because of bad weather, but the proposal itself reportedly left many agents stunned.

"That is RIDICULOUS," one person reportedly said in a private message. "[Mike] Pence and [Kamala] Harris never pulled anything like that."

Another person reportedly complained, "They change everything. They don't stick to their schedules, and that costs s***-tons of taxpayer money."

Golf Lesson Flight Drew Scrutiny

The report says using Marine Two for such a trip would have required approval from the White House Military Office. Based on 2022 Pentagon budget estimates, operating the helicopter costs taxpayers between $16,000 and $24,600 per hour.

Sources told the outlet there is no formal rule preventing the use of a government helicopter for such travel. However, they said the request had "no precedent" and reflected a broader pattern of unexpected demands that placed additional pressure on security teams.

House-Hunting Trips Added To Concerns

The report also claims that Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance recently made multiple helicopter trips to Middleburg, Virginia, while searching for a home. The couple have three children, aged nine, six and four, and are expecting their fourth child.

According to one source, the repeated changes and lack of advance notice have become a major point of frustration.

"The detail is tired of them not giving notice on things and making everything an OTR [off the record]," the source told MS Now. "[Vance] thinks he can still move around like a US senator."

Agents Even Created Satirical Stickers

The report says frustration within the protective detail has become so widespread that some agents designed unofficial challenge coins and stickers poking fun at the situation.

One sticker, featuring a bobcat, a reference to Vance's Secret Service code name, reads "TBD, TBD" with the tagline, "Advance. OTR. Repeat."

Another, styled like a sheriff's badge, says, "Bobcat OTR Survivors Club."

Vance's Office, Secret Service Respond

A spokesperson for Vice President Vance rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing and praised the agents protecting his family, according to The Independent.

"The Vances are grateful to the men and women of the US Secret Service who serve our country with distinction."

The spokesperson added, "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."

Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn also defended the agency's work, saying agents understand the demands that come with protecting senior 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."

He continued, "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."

Quinn added, "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."

'Red Alarm' For The Secret Service

Speaking on MS Now's TV programme, journalist Carol Leonnig, who worked on the story, said complaints of this nature are unusual for the Secret Service.

"The Secret Service doesn't complain a lot."

She added, "When they're angry in this way, it's sort of a red alarm. They're an overworked, under-resourced agency."

Leonnig said some agents even described the situation as providing "royal treatment", adding, "Some of them use the word 'royal treatment.' They're not used to providing royal treatment to the children of a vice president."