Vice President JD Vance Honored with Claremont’s Statesmanship Award

San Diego, CA — The Claremont Institute awarded Vice President JD Vance with its prestigious Statesmanship Award at a private dinner held Saturday night in Rancho Santa Fe, California. The evening marked the launch of The Claremont Institute’s Golden Age Agenda event series, dedicated to renewing American greatness through bold leadership, national vision, and cultural revival.

Vice President Vance was honored for his courage, clarity, and enduring commitment to the principles of the American Founding. In his keynote remarks, Vance delivered what many in attendance hailed as a historic speech — a stirring call to reject cynicism and reclaim the will to build. He spoke of gratitude for America, the need to see our civilization rise again, and the importance of an American nation working together to build great things once more.

The Claremont Institute’s President Ryan P. Williams presented the award, praising Vice President Vance’s statesmanship and bold leadership in an age of institutional decay and ideological confusion.

The evening’s master of ceremonies was Claremont Lincoln Fellow and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. A panel discussion followed the dinner with Williams, Kirk, and former Claremont Senior Fellow Michael Anton, who now serves as Director of Policy Planning at the U.S. State Department.

The dinner was a private event for Claremont supporters and friends, and Vice President Vance’s speech is available in full below.

The Claremont Institute’s Statesmanship Award honors public figures who are courageous, prudent, and devoted to the American constitutional order. Vice President Vance joins a distinguished line of past recipients, including President Ronald Reagan, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito–statesmen whose leadership has shaped the trajectory of the West and defended the cause of liberty at home and abroad.

“Vice President Vance is a leader who wishes to reclaim the lost art of statesmanship, ranking and facing down America’s most urgent challenges with realism and resolve. He is a man with gratitude for what we’ve inherited and the will to build on it with his fellow Americans,” said Ryan P. Williams. “We were proud to honor his public-spirit and moderation as he continues to shape the forthcoming golden age of America.”

For press inquiries, contact:

media@claremont.org