Vance pauses speech to take selfie with boy who skipped school during North Carolina event

Vice President JD Vance paused his North Carolina speech to take a selfie with a boy in the crowd who said he skipped school to meet him. The moment occurred during a Concord event at Padgett Regional Airport that centered on public safety and backing for law enforcement, part of a broader agenda that also touched on tax policy and the economy.

During a question-and-answer segment, a youth named Henry stepped forward. Henry wore a red Trump hat and an American flag T-shirt and told the audience that he had skipped school that day to see the vice president. Vance invited him onto the stage, and the two exchanged a handshake before posing for a photo as cheers rose from the room. After the selfie, Vance returned to the microphone, joking that the next request might come from a reporter and that he was not hoping for an easy question before steering back to his core message on public safety and support for local officers.

Back on the dais, Vance continued his remarks with a focus on law and order, urging steps to keep violent offenders behind bars and praising police officers for their work in local communities. He connected the safety theme to economic policy as part of a broader argument that tax cuts and economic vitality support safer neighborhoods by improving opportunity and stability.

The moment drew notable attention on social media, with the White House’s Rapid Response account sharing video of the exchange. The clip quickly drew thousands of likes on X, reflecting the viral nature of the pause and selfie. Photographers on site from Reuters and Getty Images also captured the scene, framing a light moment within a broader policy-focused appearance.

Officials in the White House and the Office of the Vice President did not immediately respond to request for comment on the incident.