Vice President J.D. Vance reportedly delivered a blistering critique of Washington elites on Wednesday, calling out the political establishment’s obsession with college degrees while promoting a new Trump administration initiative aimed at expanding blue-collar career opportunities.
Speaking at Don’s Machine Shop in northeastern Pennsylvania, Vance emphasized the need to respect and empower Americans who want to work with their hands rather than take on massive debt for a four-year degree.
“Why is it that we force every single young person to get a big chunk of debt at a four-year college or university?” Vance asked the crowd of workers and local business leaders. “Why don’t we give our young people more options?”
The vice president’s remarks came as he promoted the “Big, Beautiful Act,” a legislative push to increase access to vocational training, apprenticeships, and skilled labor programs.
The average federal student loan debt now tops $37,000 per borrower and can take two decades to pay off, according to the Education Data Initiative—a burden Vance argues is not just unnecessary for many, but harmful.
“We think it’s fine. If you want to go to college, go to college. There’s a lot of opportunity out there,” Vance said. “But if you want to work with your hands… build a house, build a bridge, make one of these incredible orders that comes in from this small business right here in northeastern Pennsylvania, your government should not be forcing you to do what elites in Washington want you to do.”
The Trump administration’s broader economic policy dovetails with this message. In April, President Trump imposed reciprocal tariffs on foreign nations involved in trade with the U.S., aiming to bring back domestic manufacturing jobs and level the playing field for American workers.
These tariffs, particularly those targeting steel, aluminum, and high-tech components, have undergone adjustments as Trump has struck trade agreements with countries including China.
The vice president’s remarks underscored the administration’s belief that the pathway to prosperity must include rebuilding American industry and restoring pride in trades that were long overlooked by Washington policymakers.
“You ought to chart your own course and your own career path,” Vance said. “And the Trump administration’s gonna fight for that.”
For Vance, who grew up in a working-class Ohio family, the argument is not just about economics—it’s cultural.
His call to empower skilled labor is part of a broader conservative push to dismantle what many on the right view as a rigid academic-industrial complex that serves elite interests while ignoring the practical needs of most Americans.
With millions of trade jobs sitting unfilled and critical industries reliant on overseas supply chains, the administration’s message is clear: respect the trades, reward work, and rebuild American strength from the factory floor up.
As Trump’s tariffs continue to reshape global trade and domestic manufacturing rebounds, Vance’s speech signals a deepening commitment to a vision of America that values welders as much as it does white-collar professionals.
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