[IMPORTANT: Make this 4 times longer with much more detail]
Analysis Vance Delivers Rebuke on Immigration, Alleged Censorship Situation Report covers the Munich Security Conference. By Rishi Iyengar , a reporter at Foreign Policy , and Keith Johnson , a reporter at Foreign Policy covering geoeconomics and energy. A man with a beard in a suit and tie speaks behind a teleprompter. The logo for MSC is behind him. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance delivers a speech during the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14. Johannes Simon/Getty Images My FP: Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like. Exclusively for FP subscribers. Subscribe Now | Log In Politics United States Europe Rishi Iyengar February 14, 2025, 5:44 PM Comment icon View Comments ( 0 ) When U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance took the stage at the Munich Security Conference, most people were expecting him to hold forth on the topics that had animated the huddles and discussions around the venue leading up to his speech: European defense spending and the fate of Ukraine. Trump’s Second Term Ongoing reports and analysis But those subjects only got a passing sentence each. Instead, Vance spent the bulk of his 20 minutes on stage criticizing what he characterized as a European retreat from the West’s “shared democratic values” driven by excessive censorship of free speech. “Unfortunately, when I look at Europe today, it’s sometimes not so clear what happened to some of the Cold War’s winners,” he said. When U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance took the stage at the Munich Security Conference, most people were expecting him to hold forth on the topics that had animated the huddles and discussions around the venue leading up to his speech: European defense spending and the fate of Ukraine. Trump’s Second Term Ongoing reports and analysis But those subjects only got a passing sentence each. Instead, Vance spent the bulk of his 20 minutes on stage criticizing what he characterized as a European retreat from the West’s “shared democratic values” driven by excessive censorship of free speech. “Unfortunately, when I look at Europe today, it’s sometimes not so clear what happened to some of the Cold War’s winners,” he said. For Europeans and others watching, Vance had a MAGA message: “In Washington, there is a new sheriff in town, and under [U.S. President] Donald Trump’s leadership, we may disagree with your views, but we will fight to defend your right to offer it in the public square,” he said, to scattered and hesitant applause—one of the few times he got any. The U.S. vice president also spoke at length about the alleged threat posed by immigration, a major right-wing talking point on both sides of the Atlantic that he described as the most “urgent” challenge the nations represented in Munich face. Most of the speech was met with stunned silence. “Gobsmacked” was a word used repeatedly in the aftermath, and SitRep overheard one attendee walking out of the Bayerischer Hof describe the speech as “utterly, utterly frightening.” Read more in today’s Situation Report: Vance Leaves Europe Gobsmacked , and sign up for the newsletter to follow along at the Munich Security Conference. This post is part of FP’s ongoing coverage of the Trump administration . Follow along here . My FP: Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like. Exclusively for FP subscribers. Subscribe Now | Log In Politics United States Europe Rishi Iyengar Rishi Iyengar is a reporter at Foreign Policy . X: @Iyengarish Keith Johnson is a reporter at Foreign Policy covering geoeconomics and energy. X: @KFJ_FP Read More On Donald Trump | Europe | Migration and Immigration | Politics | United States Join the Conversation Commenting on this and other recent articles is just one benefit of a Foreign Policy subscription. Already a subscriber? Log In . Subscribe Subscribe View 0 Comments Join the Conversation Join the conversation on this and other recent Foreign Policy articles when you subscribe now. Subscribe Subscribe Not your account? Log out View 0 Comments Join the Conversation Please follow our comment guidelines , stay on topic, and be civil, courteous, and respectful of others’ beliefs. You are commenting as . Change your username | Log out Change your username: Username I agree to abide by FP’s comment guidelines . (Required) Confirm CANCEL Confirm your username to get started. The default username below has been generated using the first name and last initial on your FP subscriber account. Usernames may be updated at any time and must not contain inappropriate or offensive language. Username I agree to abide by FP’s comment guidelines . (Required) Confirm
