On February 14, Vice President JD Vance was set to speak to European leaders at the Munich Security Conference, where many expected him to discuss the war in Ukraine and the growing influence of China. Instead, to the dismay of those in attendance, Vance zeroed in on a different issue: the authoritarian practices of America's allies in Europe.
Within 20 minutes, Vice President Vance laid out a series of claims, backed by substantial evidence, exposing the growing trend of government overreach in Europe:
In the United Kingdom, Adam Smith-Connor was arrested and prosecuted in 2022 for silently praying outside an abortion center. His crime? Violating the clinic’s "safe space" rules as he prayed for his unborn son, who had been aborted 22 years earlier.
Meanwhile, in Germany, authorities have begun raiding the homes of individuals suspected of posting so-called "hate speech" online. Though free speech is technically protected in Germany, restrictions on hate speech create a legal gray area. Under current guidelines, hate speech is broadly defined as anything that could be seen as inciting hatred or insult. Those found guilty face steep fines and, for repeat offenders, jail time.
At the end of 2024, Romania abruptly canceled its presidential elections just two days before the final round of voting. This stunning upending of democracy followed the declassification of a national security report claiming Russian interference in the electoral process.
These examples only scratch the surface of Europe's slide into authoritarianism. France’s 2020 Avia Law mirrors Germany’s speech restrictions, allowing the government to force platforms to remove content deemed "unsuitable." But even these pale in comparison to the European Union’s sweeping Digital Services Act, which mandates the removal of so-called "illegal content," including hate speech, across all EU member states.
The United States now stands alone among Western nations in its commitment to individual liberty. Europe—once a steadfast ally in the fight against tyranny—has succumbed to the very forces it once resisted, adopting measures eerily reminiscent of the Third Reich’s censorship and the Soviet Union’s repression. Worse still, these internal failures have been compounded by an immigration crisis, bringing waves of militant Islam into nations that once fought to keep it at bay.
Europe, once bound to America by shared values, is now spiraling toward self-destruction. As it continues down this path, it has severed the fundamental tie that once united us as allies: the defense of individual freedom.
European democracies pride themselves as a bulwark against Vladimir Putin’s aggression. But observers must ask: What exactly are they defending? What liberties do they fear Russia will strip away that they have not already surrendered themselves?
“But let me also ask you, how will you even begin to think through the kinds of budgeting questions if we don’t know what it is that we’re defending in the first place?” Vance challenged in his speech.
Certainly, there is reason to fear Russian aggression. But before Europe condemns the external threat, it must take stock of its own internal decay. To repel one tyrant only to empower another is madness.
Across the Atlantic, we are witnessing actions from our allies that stand in direct opposition to America’s founding principles. For the first time, our leaders are openly acknowledging that some of our so-called democratic allies bear more resemblance to totalitarian states than to the United States. Vance’s remarks serve as a warning—not just to Europe, but to the world—that the freedoms and values once cherished must be protected from internal threats. Otherwise, what exactly are we defending when American taxpayer dollars fund foreign wars and policies?
As the ideological divide widens, Americans are coming to realize that Donald Trump’s administration is not just about "America First"—it is about America Alone. Relationships with Europe were already straining as President Trump called out NATO members for failing to contribute their fair share. Now, as European governments continue to erode the freedoms of their own citizens, how can we expect them to respect the interests of the United States?
Yet, the door remains open for Europe to correct its course. Just four days before the Munich Conference, at an AI summit, Vance extended an olive branch, calling on European leaders to loosen their grip on the tech sector and join the U.S. in innovation.
“Just because we're the leader doesn't mean we want or need to go it alone. America wants to partner with all of you, and we want to embark on the AI revolution before us with a spirit of openness and collaboration. But to create that kind of trust, we need international regulatory regimes that foster the creation of AI technology rather than strangle it. We need our European friends, in particular, to look to this new frontier with optimism rather than trepidation,” he urged.
Unless Europe recognizes how its self-destructive path has led to its exclusion from America’s innovation and leadership, the U.S. will continue standing alone on the world stage. "America First" is no longer just a slogan—it is the reality of the new world order, and for the first time, the world is beginning to feel it.
