A video of United States Vice President JD Vance engaging in a playful chest bump at the graduation ceremony at the Air Force Academy, is going viral on social media. Vance attended the ceremony on Thursday and addressed the graduating class in Colorado. During his speech, he encouraged the cadets to “never submit.”
The ceremony began on a rainy morning as people slowly gathered for the event. After his speech, Vance greeted members of the graduating class when one cadet surprised him with a playful chest bump.
As the video gained traction, Vance responded to one such clip on X: “Note to self: wear Air Jordans next time I’m at the Air Force academy.”
Note to self: wear air jordans next time I’m at the Air Force academy https://t.co/LWXzrY8xHk
— JD Vance (@JDVance) May 28, 2026
Reacting to the viral video and his response, X users also shared humorous comments.
“The dad joke opportunity was simply too powerful to ignore,” a user said.
Another posted: “I wondered if you were a bit sore after all the chest bumps! They loved it. They’ll tell their grandkids about it!”
Others described Vance as in “bro-mode” at the ceremony.
At the event, Vance warned cadets about the growing role of artificial intelligence in warfare. Echoing Pope Francis’ concerns, Vance said life-and-death decisions must remain in human hands, not machines. He also urged graduates to use technology wisely but “never submit to it.”
A recent Vatican document from the Pope called for slowing AI competition and creating strong legal rules to govern its development. The pontiff has also warned that some autonomous weapons systems are advancing “practically beyond any human reach to govern them.”
Supporting the Pope’s stance, Vance encouraged people “not to outsource the most important moral decisions to digital technology.”
Acknowledging the heavy responsibility, he added: “It is an incredible burden to put on your shoulders, but it is one that we entrust to you with full confidence.”
