Vice President Vance on Wednesday leaned into President Trump’s “America First” theme, joking that since Thanksgiving is an American holiday, the traditional meat of choice is also “uniquely” American: turkey.
“Think about turkey. Who really likes … be honest with yourself, who really likes turkey?” Vance told troops on Wednesday during remarks from Fort Campbell, Ky. “You are all full of s—. Everybody who raised your hands. Here’s how I know that every single one of you who raised your hand is lying to me. How many times do you roast an 18-pound turkey just randomly? Just you know, a nice summer afternoon, we’re going to go get an 18-pound turkey.”
“Nobody does it because turkey doesn’t actually taste that good. But on Thanksgiving, one of the most American holiday … we’re going to cook a turkey by God, because that’s what Americans do,” he told the crowd. “We cook this gigantic American bird and we do all kinds of crazy things to make it taste good.”
The vice president, who said he plans to deep-fry a turkey on Thursday, later joked that “chicken is good all the time.”
“Here’s the thing about Thanksgiving: It is so American because the heart of it is the spirit of gratitude,” Vance added.
He also thanked the soldiers for their service, referencing remarks made by President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in September.
“We don’t just want people who mindlessly follow orders,” the vice president told troops. “We want people who think, because we know that the most powerful weapon in the United States arsenal, the most powerful weapon anywhere in the world, it’s not a rifle, it’s not a tank, it’s not a helicopter or an airplane — the most dangerous and lethal weapon anywhere in the world is a United States soldier, and we’re proud of you and we’re going to stand behind you every step of the way.”
Vance also shared a message from the president: “The president is proud of our soldiers and he’s proud of every single one of you. So, from the president of the United States, he just wanted to make sure that you knew he wished you a happy Thanksgiving and he’s grateful for all you do.”
🚨 JD VANCE: Turkey. Who REALLY likes turkey? Be honest. You’re all full of sh*t, everyone who raised your hand! Here’s how I know. How many times do you roast an 18-pound turkey randomly? Nobody does it because turkey doesn’t actually taste that good!
“But on the most AMERICAN… pic.twitter.com/O6PsMUCKsi
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 26, 2025
Vice President Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance served Thanksgiving meals to troops in Kentucky, with their kids helping hand out mashed potatoes and dinner rolls. The visit came a day after President Trump pardoned “Gobble” and “Waddle” at the White House, joking that Biden’s past turkey pardons were invalid because he used an autopen.
