Vance appeals to young voters in CPAC remarks: "We need you"
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Vice President JD Vance speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Feb. 20 in Oxon Hill, Md. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Vice President JD Vance touted the Trump administration's "breakneck pace" of its first month in office and made an appeal to young voters during remarks Thursday at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference.
Why it matters: Speaking before the conservative audience, Vance highlighted the administration's actions during the first month in office — and appealed to the voters who helped propel President Trump to victory in November.
Driving the news: One segment of the electorate that was particularly key to Trump's decisive victory was young voters, particularly young men.
- President Biden still won the youth vote, but Trump made inroads with these voters in November.
- "We need you, we recognize that we need you and we're fighting for you every single day," Vance said Thursday when asked about his message to young voters.
Zoom in: Vance tapped into a common cultural message as he invoked a message of masculinity in an appeal to younger, male voters.
- "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," Vance said.
- He said that he thinks "our culture sends a message to young men that you should suppress every masculine urge, you should you should try to cast aside your family, you should try to suppress what makes you a young man in the first place."
Between the lines: The Trump campaign made a similar pitch to young male voters ahead of the election through podcasts and a greater emphasis on masculinity.
- Young voters still went for Democrats more broadly, but the fact that Trump narrowed some of these margins signals that the push helped Republicans.
Zoom out: During his remarks at CPAC, Vance also received a standing ovation for his controversial speech at the Munich Security Conference when he surprised European leaders by accusing them of censorship.
- "I'm glad you guys liked it, not everyone liked it," Vance said of his remarks last week.
- The vice president also hailed the "breakneck pace" that the Trump administration has been working and said that easing inflation, which has repeatedly been a top issue for voters, is a work in progress.
