Vance to Naval Academy Graduates: No More Undefined Missions and Open-Ended Conflicts

The vice president said the United States is returning to a strategy grounded in realism and protecting core national interests.

Vice President JD Vance delivers the commencement address at the 2025 US Naval Academy graduation in Annapolis, Md., on May 23, 2025. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Vice President JD Vance told Naval Academy graduates on Friday that the Trump administration has “reversed course” in foreign policy after previous leaders “traded hard power for soft power.”

Vance made the comments during his commencement speech at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.