Vice President JD Vance Rebukes European Leaders, Calls Internal Issues The Biggest Threat

 Vice President JD Vance delivered a blunt speech at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, criticizing European leaders for what he described as self-inflicted threats to their own security. Instead of focusing on external adversaries like Russia or China, Vance argued that Europe’s real challenges stem from internal issues such as restrictions on free speech, uncontrolled immigration, and the political marginalization of right-wing parties.

The audience, expecting insights on the administration’s plans for ending the war in Ukraine, instead witnessed a forceful rejection of what Vance called outdated liberal policies that have shaped Europe since World War II.

“The Biggest Threat Comes From Within”

“The threat that I worry most about in Europe is not Russia, not China, not any other external actor. What I worry about is the threat from within—the retreat from fundamental values,” Vance said to a largely unresponsive crowd.

During his remarks, Vance criticized European governments for cracking down on controversial viewpoints, calling censorship “the surest way to destroy democracy.” He urged European leaders to respect the will of their voters, rather than dismissing populist movements.

“If American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk,” he quipped.

A Shift in US Foreign Policy

Vance’s comments came amid rising tensions over the Trump administration’s handling of the Ukraine war. Days earlier, President Donald Trump had announced that peace talks with Russia would begin “immediately,” potentially sidelining Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that Ukraine should not expect to reclaim all its pre-war borders and that NATO membership for Ukraine was off the table for now.

Many expected Vance to elaborate on the administration’s approach to Ukraine. Instead, his speech took aim at what he described as Europe’s failures to uphold democratic principles.

Criticism of European Governance

Vance accused European governments of undermining democracy by censoring dissenting voices and interfering in elections. He pointed to the United Kingdom’s arrest of a man for praying near an abortion clinic and Sweden’s prosecution of an anti-Islam activist for burning a Quran.

He also highlighted Romania’s recent decision to annul its presidential election after intelligence services claimed foreign interference. Vance compared such actions to Cold War-era authoritarianism, asking, “When we see European courts canceling elections, we need to ask whether we’re holding ourselves to an appropriately high standard.”

In a striking remark, he likened modern European leaders to the very regimes that democratic nations once fought against.

“Consider the side in that fight that censored dissidents, that closed churches, that canceled elections. Were they the good guys? Certainly not. And thank God, they lost the Cold War,” he said.

A Warning for Germany’s Upcoming Election

Vance’s remarks come just over a week before Germany’s national elections, where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is polling at around 21%, positioning itself as a major force in German politics.

Vance criticized the political “firewall” that has led mainstream parties to shun the AfD. “No democracy—American, German, or European—can survive by telling millions of voters that their views are invalid,” he argued.

Following his speech, Vance met privately with AfD leader Alice Weidel to discuss Ukraine and German politics. He also met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Friedrich Merz, the frontrunner for chancellor.

European Backlash

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius denounced Vance’s remarks as “unacceptable,” asserting that Germany remains committed to free and open political discourse.

“I strongly oppose the impression that minorities are being suppressed or silenced in our democracy,” Pistorius said.

Notably, Vance did not direct similar criticism toward Russia or Belarus, countries ruled by long-standing leaders who allow only stage-managed elections.

“Europe’s Democracy Must Be Stronger”

Vance dismissed concerns that foreign interference justified election cancellations, saying, “If your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising, then it wasn’t very strong to begin with.”

He also condemned European efforts to regulate online speech, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. “It looks more and more like entrenched elites, hiding behind words like ‘misinformation’ and ‘disinformation,’ simply don’t want alternative viewpoints to be heard,” he said.

Trump Praises Vance’s Speech

When asked about Vance’s remarks, Trump called them “brilliant” and “well received.” He also echoed concerns about Europe’s free speech policies and immigration issues.

“Europe has to be careful,” Trump said. “They have a big immigration problem.”

Speaking a day after an Afghan asylum seeker injured at least 36 people in a car attack in Munich, Vance said the incident underscored the dangers of Europe’s immigration policies.

“No voter on this continent went to the ballot box to open the floodgates to millions of unvetted immigrants,” he said, expressing condolences to the victims.