Read the full transcript of Vice President JD Vance’s address at the 2025 March for Life event on Jan. 24.
Listen to the audio version here:
TRANSCRIPT:
JD VANCE: Let me say thank you, good afternoon marchers. Thank you for having me. It is an honor to be standing with you here today for life. We are proud to march with you, and yes, we will be back next year. The excitement, the passion, the unwavering conviction that every single person here on the National Mall clearly feels, it is deeply moving to me and means more to President Trump and I than I could possibly say.
For over a half century, this march has united tens of thousands of Americans from all walks of life to rally for the cause of life in our nation. It is the single largest gathering in the world to celebrate our movement. The victories we’ve fought so hard for, and yes, the victories yet to come.
I want to personally welcome all of you who have traveled from far and wide to our nation’s capital. Thank you for your dedication. It is an incredible crowd, and it’s great to see you today.
Braving the Cold
You know, on Monday, we were forced to move all of the inauguration events indoors because of the bitter cold, and it was cold. But you guys, it is cold today. Here you are, outside, in an especially frigid January, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a joyful crowd out here, particularly during this time of year.
Why We March
As you all know, the event theme this year is “Life: Why We March.” And there are obvious answers to the implicit question it poses. We march to protect the unborn. We march to proclaim and live out the sacred truth that every single child is a miracle and a gift from God.
Now each time Usha and I welcomed our own children into the world, we saw firsthand the indescribable beauty of new life, and yes, as you can see, sometimes the behavioral challenges that we had on Monday, but they were good. They were good.
And watching all three of our kids grow, learn, and become who they are today has been the single greatest blessing of our lives. Every parent here knows that feeling, that awe at a newborn child. It is our responsibility to cherish and to protect it.
The Deeper Meaning of Our March
But thinking about the question of why we march, there are also some subtler, but equally more important answers that I want to reflect on today.
Now the task of our movement is to protect innocent life, it’s to defend the unborn, and it’s also to be pro-family and pro-life in the fullest sense of that word possible. Now across my own lifetime, I can’t tell you the number of friends and other acquaintances I’ve had who, facing a pregnancy or the prospect of one, react not with joy, but with concern. They wonder how can they afford it? What will it mean for their education, their career, their relationship, or their family?
And I know how many of you in this crowd have devoted immeasurable time and resources to help answer those questions and to lend a hand to young people facing a moment of desperation. But by and large, our society, our country, has not yet stepped up in the way you have. And our government certainly has failed in that important responsibility.
Societal Challenges
We failed a generation not only by permitting a culture of abortion on demand, but also by neglecting to help young parents achieve the ingredients they need to lead a happy and meaningful life. A culture of radical individualism took root, one where the responsibilities and joys of family life were seen as obstacles to overcome, not as personal fulfillment or personal blessings. Our society has failed to recognize the obligation that one generation has to another is a core part of living in a society to begin with.
A Call for More Babies
So let me say very simply, I want more babies in the United States of America. I want more happy children in our country. And I want beautiful young men and women who are eager to welcome them into the world and eager to raise them. And it is the task of our government to make it easier for young moms and dads to afford to have kids, to bring them into the world, and to welcome them at the blessings that we know they are here at the March for Life.
Now it should be easier, easier to raise a family, easier to find a good job, easier to build a home to raise that family in, easier to save up and purchase a good stroller, a crib for a nursery. We need a culture that celebrates life at all stages, one that recognizes and truly believes that the benchmark of national success is not our GDP number or our stock market, but whether people feel that they can raise thriving and healthy families in our country.
President Trump’s Return
And that brings me back to where we stand today. Earlier this week, President Donald J. Trump stood in the Capitol Rotunda and took the oath of office, becoming not just the 45th, but now the 47th President of the United States. And I know all of you helped.
With the inauguration on Monday, our country faces the return of the most pro-family, most pro-life American President of our lifetimes. Now this is the man who delivered on his promise of ending Roe, giving us a monumental, earth-shattering decision in Dobbs. The man who appointed hundreds of pro-life judges dedicated to defending the constitutional liberties of all Americans. And the man who supported pro-family policies like doubling the child tax credit, which happened during his first administration, and which we’re going to do so much more on in the second administration.
Now he’s back, and we’re going to do it again.
Recent Actions and Future Plans
Now yesterday, President Trump issued a strong endorsement of the Born Alive Abortion Act, ensuring that those babies who survived botched abortions enjoy the equal protection under law, which is the obligation of every citizen to enjoy in this country.