Remnant Recap

• What Happened: Vice President JD Vance delivered an emotional tribute to Sylvester Stallone, celebrating his career and its impact on working-class America.
• Why It Matters: Stallone’s films embody grit, resilience, and the American dream — values Vance says this country desperately needs to reclaim.
• Bottom Line: In a Hollywood culture drifting away from real Americans, Stallone’s legacy stands firm. And JD Vance just reminded the nation why.

Vice President JD Vance honored American film icon Sylvester Stallone with a tribute that hit the nation right in the heart. At a time when Hollywood often forgets the people who built this country, Vance reminded everyone why Stallone still stands in a league of his own.

Speaking with unmistakable admiration, Vance praised Stallone’s decades-long career for capturing the story of everyday Americans. Not the elites. Not the celebrity class. But the working-class people who fight, fail, get back up, and fight again — the backbone of the United States.

“He’s told stories about normal Americans, about the grit, about the resiliency, about the virtues that actually make the American nation tick,” Vance said. “What makes the American people one of such incredible character.”

WATCH:

Vice President JD Vance delivers a heartfelt message to the legend Sylvester Stallone, honoring his career defined by grit, resilience, and the true spirit of America.

This is extremely powerful:

“He's told stories about normal Americans, about the grit, about the resiliency,… pic.twitter.com/OfpYyFEVLw

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 6, 2025

Vance shared a personal note, explaining why Stallone’s films resonated so deeply with families like his. “If I think about why my grandmother, the woman who raised me, Sly, why she loved your movies so much… it’s because she didn’t see people like us on the big screen that much. She saw working class people, people of humble beginnings, people who worked their asses off and made the American dream a reality.”

That, Vance said, is the DNA of Stallone’s entire body of work — and the legacy the Kennedy Center is honoring.

Quoting one of Stallone’s most iconic lines, Vance echoed the spirit of Rocky Balboa: “Life is not about how hard you can hit, but about how hard you can get hit and get back up and keep moving forward.”

Stallone didn’t just entertain. He inspired a nation.

Vance closed with a message as American as it gets: “Merry Christmas. And may we be as courageous as your people have been for a very long time.”