When JD Vance stood before the Munich Security Conference in February, he didn’t play diplomat. He played truth-teller.
Facing a room filled with European elites, the Vice President called out a creeping authoritarianism that he said was threatening freedom on both sides of the Atlantic.
“I look to Brussels, where EU Commission commissars warn citizens that they intend to shut down social media during times of civil unrest the moment they spot what they've judged to be quote, hateful content.”
He also pointed to examples closer to where he stood.
“Or to this very country where police have carried out raids against citizens suspected of posting anti feminist comments online as part of quote, combating misogyny on the internet, a day of action."
That speech turned heads—and stirred backlash—but Vance didn’t back down. Today, he returned to a Munich Security Conference event, this time in Washington.
The message was more measured, but the core argument was unchanged: if the West wants to…