Vice President JD Vance told young men at CPAC not to let a broken culture convince them that being a man is something to be ashamed of.
Vance made the remarks during a sit-down interview at the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., roughly one month into his tenure as vice president. He covered border security and foreign policy before closing with a message aimed directly at young men who feel they have been left behind in modern America.
“Don’t allow this broken culture to send you a message that you’re a bad person because you’re a man, because you like to tell a joke, because you like to have a beer with your friends, or because you’re competitive,” he told the audience.
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Vance went further, arguing that mainstream culture tries to flatten the differences between men and women. “Our cultural message is that it wants to turn everybody, whether male or female, into androgynous idiots who think the same, talk the same, and act the same,” he said. “We actually think God made male and female for a purpose, and we want you guys to thrive as young men and as young women. And we’re going to help with our public policy to make it possible to do that.”
The clip was shared on X by the account of Charlie Kirk, who was later assassinated. Kirk praised Vance for drawing attention to JD Vance's message to young men, posting fire emojis and ending with a single word: “Amen.”
Kirk quoted Vance directly in his post, calling the message powerful and amplifying both the call to resist cultural shame and the promise of policy action to back it up.
Responses in the replies were largely supportive. “JD Vance was definitely the right man for the VP job,” one user wrote. Another went further, saying, “This is incredible. He just said what millions of young men need to hear. Masculinity isn’t toxic. Competitiveness isn’t toxic. Wanting to be a strong man isn’t toxic. What is toxic? A culture that tries to strip men of purpose, drive, and faith.”
A third commenter praised Vance as a role model, writing that his message told young men to “stand tall and not be ashamed of who they are” and calling him “a true leader” for the next generation.
Vance framed the message not just as a cultural stance but as a governing priority, saying the Trump administration intends to support it through public policy.
