Vice President JD Vance urges pro-lifers to keep building a 'culture of life'

Vice President JD Vance spoke at the 2026 March for Life, applauding the accomplishments of the pro-life movement and of the Trump administration, and calling Americans to persuade their fellow citizens to "build up" a culture of life.

Key Takeaways:

• VP JD Vance spoke in favor of marriage and family, and of protecting the most vulnerable both through persuading other American citizens of the need for building a thriving culture of life, as well as through advancing policy to protect human lives and making it easier for families to welcome children.

• Vance announced that the Trump administration has just initiated a "historic expansion" of the pro-life Mexico City Policy, stating that all international organizations that "perform[] or promote[] abortion abroad" or promote "radical gender ideologies" will be blocked from funding in "every non-military foreign assistance that America sends" to other countries.

• Vance called it "the mark of barbarism" in a society when babies are treated as "inconveniences to be discarded" instead of as "blessings to cherish."

The Highlights:

After a video message from President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance took the stage to enthusiastic cheers from the assembled marchers, who chanted, "JD!" He opened his speech with the news shared earlier this week — that he and his wife, Usha, are expecting their fourth child.

"Some of you may remember that, in my remarks last year, I told you all that one of the things I most wanted in the United States of America was more families, and more babies," he joked lightheartedly. "So let the record show, you have a vice president practices what he preaches! Usha and I announced this week that we are expecting our fourth, and it will be our third baby boy, so we'll take whatever prayers you can give. We certainly need them."

Vice President JD Vance's Full Speech at the Rally of the March for Life 2026

Vance stressed that the future depends on how we treat our children: "We cannot be neutral; our country cannot be indifferent about whether its next generations live or die."

He also noted how many ancient pagan societies treated children as disposable, mentioning how Roman brothels are often identified by archaeologists by the number of male baby skeletons found near them.

".... The mark of barbarism," Vance added, "is that we treat babies like inconveniences to be discarded rather than the blessings to cherish that they are."

As the speech went on, Vance noted that, ultimately, protecting preborn lives and valuing marriage are not mere political issues:

"It is about whether we will remain a civilization under God, or whether we ultimately return to the paganism that dominated the past.

Today, the far-left of this country tells our young people marriage and children are obstacles — that it's irresponsible, even immoral, because of climate change or some other reason, to encourage our young people to raise a family.

They tell us that life itself is a burden. But we here at this march, we know that it's a lie. We know that life is a gift."

The Policy Picture:

Vance stated that the Trump administration has spent the past year attempting to right the wrongs of the Biden administration as well as the five decades of previous "bad policy" on the right to life, pointing to various policies the Trump administration has put in place in an effort to support families and to protect the dignity of human life.

He noted that the Trump administration has expanded the child tax credit, "expanded conscience protections for healthcare workers and defended faith-based foster care and adoption," unraveled the Biden administration mandates that funneled taxpayer funding toward abortion travel, introduced a ban on aborted fetal tissue research, and has ended taxpayer funding for abortions overseas (which included rejoining the Geneva Consensus Declaration and expanding the Mexico City Policy). He also highlighted the fact that the administration stopped the previous administration's FACE Act abuses and fought for religious freedom.

"The thing that I'm perhaps the most proud of is that we have been responsible stewards of your tax dollars on this question of life," he said. "Just yesterday, this administration launched fraud investigations into Planned Parenthood affiliates for millions of dollars in PPE loans that were unlawfully received and unlawfully forgiven by the Biden administration. You should not be able to commit fraud and use taxpayer money for abortion — it's that simple."

Vance said:

"Under Joe Biden, it was the policy of the United States to export abortion and radical gender ideology all around the world. That is what they did with your tax money. They would relentlessly bully developing countries into parroting their far-left views.

But... we believe that every country in the world has the duty to protect life. And that it's not our job as the United States of America to promote radical gender ideology. It's our job to promote families and human flourishing.

That's why we've completely realigned U.S. foreign aid and turned off the tap for NGOs whose sole purpose is to dissuade people from having kids. It's why we rejoined the Geneva Consensus Declaration to promote maternal health and strong families all over the world. And it's why we speak up when other nations throw pro-life and pro-family advocates in prison for silent prayer, which we've seen way too much. But it's gotta stop.

And today, our administration is proud to announce a historic expansion of the Mexico City Policy. We're gonna start blocking every international GO that performs or promotes abortion abroad from receiving a dollar of U.S. money.

We're expanding this policy to protect life, to combat DEI, and the radical gender ideologies that prey on our children, and with these additions, the rule will now cover every non-military foreign assistance that America sends.

All in all, we've expanded the Mexico City Policy about three times as big as it was before, and we're proud of it, because we believe in fighting for life."

Vance also called the overturning of Roe v. Wade the most important Supreme Court decision of his lifetime. "With the Dobbs decision, what we did, what the president did, what the Supreme Court did, was put a definitive end to the tyranny of judicial rule on the question of human life."

"Building a culture of life requires persuasion, and that's what so different about this moment compared to the moment that was dominated by the Supreme Court for 50 years," Vance stated. "We're not trying to argue to the Supreme Court anymore; we are trying to argue to our fellow citizens that we must build up that culture of life."

The Bottom Line:

"I'm grateful for this movement, and for the truth that is on our side," Vance said, adding that he is thankful for technology like 3D ultrasounds that now show us the truth about children in the womb and the "new medical technologies that have saved the lives of countless premature babies."

He added, "But let me today say, I am especially grateful for all of you."