At CPAC, Vance Receives the Warm Welcome He Had Hoped for in Munich
Amid a group of supporters, the vice president reveled in his position as the leading figure in cultural battles.
TroibNews 
OXON HILL, Maryland — When Vice President JD Vance delivered a scathing speech in Europe last week that signaled a dramatic departure from long-standing American foreign policy, he faced an unenthusiastic audience.
However, on Thursday, Vance brought his globalism-critical, culture-focused message back to the United States, reinforcing his position as the leading voice of the America First movement.
“I’m glad you guys liked it. Not everybody liked it, you guys liked it,” Vance told the crowd at the CPAC event while referencing his earlier speech in Munich. That address had evoked more groans than cheers, but here, even a brief mention of it prompted thousands to whistle and rise to their feet.
“I’ll take a standing ovation for a speech I already gave,” Vance remarked. “Two for the price of one.”
Just one month into his vice presidential role, Vance was the opening speaker at the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference, located just outside Washington. He lauded President Donald Trump for his rapid-fire executive actions and frequently emphasized the administration’s priorities to “secure the southern border,” “drill baby drill,” and “spend the American people’s tax money on the American people’s priorities.”
Amid the strongholds of the conservative movement that he and Trump have molded, Vance appeared confident not only in highlighting the administration’s accomplishments but also in embracing his status within the MAGA faction.
CPAC is a familiar environment for Vance, a prominent figure of the “new right,” who has attended the annual conservative gathering since assuming office as a senator in 2023. The audience was largely adorned in MAGA hats. When Christian artist Natasha Owens began the event with the national anthem, her gown featured the phrase “Democrats officially getting exposed,” a reference to the DOGE acronym.
And Vance took on the role of their culture warrior.
American culture “wants to turn everybody, whether male or female, into androgynous idiots who think the same, talk the same and act the same,” he asserted. “We actually think God made male and female for a purpose and he wants you guys to thrive.”
At just 40 years old, Vance is seen as a potential successor to Trump, who will be term-limited in 2028. He must navigate the challenge of maintaining visibility while not overshadowing Trump, all while aligning with the president's policy stance yet subtly hinting at where his views may diverge.
When moderator Mercedes Schlapp questioned Vance on how the White House would “defend the unborn,” he began by commending Trump for establishing a Supreme Court capable of overturning Roe v. Wade, returning the issue of abortion to the states—reflecting the typical Trump administration stance, which suggests going further could be politically risky.
However, as a “devout Christian,” Vance added, “We've got to persuade our fellow citizens that unborn life is worthy of protecting. It is sacred in the eyes of God, and it should be sacred in the eyes of man too.”
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
However, on Thursday, Vance brought his globalism-critical, culture-focused message back to the United States, reinforcing his position as the leading voice of the America First movement.
“I’m glad you guys liked it. Not everybody liked it, you guys liked it,” Vance told the crowd at the CPAC event while referencing his earlier speech in Munich. That address had evoked more groans than cheers, but here, even a brief mention of it prompted thousands to whistle and rise to their feet.
“I’ll take a standing ovation for a speech I already gave,” Vance remarked. “Two for the price of one.”
Just one month into his vice presidential role, Vance was the opening speaker at the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference, located just outside Washington. He lauded President Donald Trump for his rapid-fire executive actions and frequently emphasized the administration’s priorities to “secure the southern border,” “drill baby drill,” and “spend the American people’s tax money on the American people’s priorities.”
Amid the strongholds of the conservative movement that he and Trump have molded, Vance appeared confident not only in highlighting the administration’s accomplishments but also in embracing his status within the MAGA faction.
CPAC is a familiar environment for Vance, a prominent figure of the “new right,” who has attended the annual conservative gathering since assuming office as a senator in 2023. The audience was largely adorned in MAGA hats. When Christian artist Natasha Owens began the event with the national anthem, her gown featured the phrase “Democrats officially getting exposed,” a reference to the DOGE acronym.
And Vance took on the role of their culture warrior.
American culture “wants to turn everybody, whether male or female, into androgynous idiots who think the same, talk the same and act the same,” he asserted. “We actually think God made male and female for a purpose and he wants you guys to thrive.”
At just 40 years old, Vance is seen as a potential successor to Trump, who will be term-limited in 2028. He must navigate the challenge of maintaining visibility while not overshadowing Trump, all while aligning with the president's policy stance yet subtly hinting at where his views may diverge.
When moderator Mercedes Schlapp questioned Vance on how the White House would “defend the unborn,” he began by commending Trump for establishing a Supreme Court capable of overturning Roe v. Wade, returning the issue of abortion to the states—reflecting the typical Trump administration stance, which suggests going further could be politically risky.
However, as a “devout Christian,” Vance added, “We've got to persuade our fellow citizens that unborn life is worthy of protecting. It is sacred in the eyes of God, and it should be sacred in the eyes of man too.”
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
