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2mo ago

Vice President Vance Criticized for Backing Germany's Far-Right AfD

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other officials rebuke JD Vance for his speech on free speech and migration, as well as his meeting with AfD leader Alice Weidel ahead of Germany's elections.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
German conservative candidate for chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party leader Friedrich Merz speaks in Neubrandenburg, Germany, February 12, 2025. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo
On Cam: Trump's First Reaction To Vance Shaming Europe Leaders To Their Faces
The Republican president said he’d only heard ‘very good remarks’ in the wake of his VP’s tirade about free speech and migration at the Munich Security Conference.

Overview

  • Vice President JD Vance, in a speech at the Munich Security Conference, claimed Europe's biggest threat is internal, citing migration and restrictions on free speech, rather than external actors like Russia or China.
  • Vance faced backlash from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius for his comments and his meeting with Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party.
  • Scholz emphasized Germany's commitment to preventing the return of fascism and rejected foreign interference in its democracy, particularly in favor of extremist parties like the AfD.
  • The AfD, which is polling in second place ahead of Germany's February 23 elections, has been criticized for its anti-migrant stance and controversial rhetoric, with some leaders accused of echoing Nazi slogans.
  • President Trump defended Vance's speech, praising his focus on freedom of speech and migration, while German leaders argued that Vance's remarks distorted European democracy and undermined transatlantic relations.