On May 28, Vice President JD Vance gave a commencement speech at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado — the video of which was met with a mixed reaction from netizens. The speech quickly generated buzz online after Vance jokingly told graduates they were not allowed to boo him because he serves as vice president. One off-the-cuff remark, however, attracted the most attention.
JD Vance tells U.S. Air Force Grads they can’t boo him as he’s the ‘vice president of the United States’
Speaking before more than 900 graduating cadets and their families at the academy’s football stadium near Colorado Springs, JD Vance addressed several topics, ranging from military service to emerging technology. As he neared the end of his address, Vance referenced a recent trend of audiences reacting negatively to commencement speakers.
“You know, this is the only commencement speech that I’m giving this year,” Vance told the crowd. He then said he had watched clips from other ceremonies in which corporate leaders discussed artificial intelligence, drawing vocal disapproval from graduates. For context, in recent weeks, several high-profile graduation speakers have drawn boos while discussing AI and its growing influence on society.
The vice president then made a joke that immediately made the audience laugh. “Now, you can’t boo me. I’m the vice president of the United States,” Vance said. The attendees laughed, and the comment quickly spread across social media after video clips from the event began circulating online.
The joke may have landed well with the audience in attendance, but reactions online were far more mixed. Social media users quickly weighed in after the clip gained traction across multiple platforms. One user wrote, “His ego is a delicate flower.” Another commenter responded, “Oh honey, you’ll always be booed… for the rest of your life, wherever you go.” A third viewer wrote, “Oh, we can boo you.” One user added, “Yes, JD, they can boo you. It’s called the First Amendment.”
