The speech J.D. Vance gave in Munich has set the European Union into a tizzy. A well deserved tizzy I might add. You see, he called them out on their push to criminalize freedom. Right out of the gate, Vance held up a gigantic mirror and dared the EU to take a good hard look.

However, the threat that I worry most about for Europe is not Russia. It’s not China. It’s not any other external actor. What I worry about is the threat from within—the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values that are shared with the United States of America.

I was struck that a former European commissioner went on television recently and sounded delighted that the Romanian government had just annulled an entire election. He warned that if things don’t go to plan, the very same thing could happen in Germany too.

Now, these cavalier statements are shocking to American ears.

For years, we’ve been told that everything we fund and support is in the name of our shared democratic values.

Everything—from our Ukraine policy to digital censorship—is billed as a defense of democracy.

But when we see European courts canceling elections, and senior officials threatening to cancel others, we ought to ask whether we’re holding ourselves to an appropriately high standard.

When I mentioned freedom, the question is, what freedom? All of it. The freedom to vote for the person or party of YOUR choice, the freedom to stand on a corner and silently pray, the freedom to pray in your own home, the freedom to criticize ones leaders, or the freedom to advocate for curbs on immigration, and much more. 

‘Europe faces many challenges, but the crisis this continent faces right now, the crisis I believe we all face together, is one of our own making,’ he said.

‘If you’re running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you, nor, for that matter, is there anything that you can do for the American people who elected me and elected President Trump.’

It’s worth watching the entire speech. Evidently so many were in attendance that overflow rooms were set up. Which is a very good thing. Why? Because they all were witness to some very uncomfortable truths being told out loud, right to their faces. 

Yes, if the people across Great Britain and the EU can offer up their opinions and show up to “help” during our election cycles, then we Americans certainly can have the same opportunity to support or criticize other countries methods of governing. 

In Europe, leaders have worked hard to stifle the concerns of unchecked immigration and the refusal of many to adhere to the laws of that country. Instead of deporting those who commit crimes such as attacking innocents with knives, the response of the so-called “leadership” is to …ban knives. 

What’s more is that Vance advocated for leaders and politicians everywhere to listen to and engage with those who have opposing viewpoints. 

And I really do believe that allowing our citizens to speak their minds will make them stronger still.

~Snip

But when political leaders represent an important constituency, it is incumbent upon us to at least participate in dialogue with them.

To many of us on the other side of the Atlantic, it looks more and more like old, entrenched interests hiding behind ugly, Soviet-era words like misinformation and disinformation, who simply don’t like the idea that somebody with an alternative viewpoint might express a different opinion, or, God forbid, vote a different way—or even worse, win an election.

~Snip

And I believe deeply that there is no security if you are afraid of the voices, the opinions, and the conscience that guide your very own people.

Shutting down opposing views does indeed threaten the very fabric of a country’s internal security and safety. And when it happens on a large scale, as we are seeing across Europe, and the world saw during the egregious Covid lockdowns, it’s understandable that leaders will refuse to look in the mirror and acknowledge they might’ve chosen poorly. 

Watching VP Vance speech in overflow room. European audience sardonically laughs when he mentions “shared values” and groans when he begins talking about the “threat from within” Europe.

“Such a puppet” a woman in audience quips #MSCPOLITICO #MSC2025 pic.twitter.com/yDlojzti53

— Dasha Burns (@DashaBurns) February 14, 2025

I’d be willing to bet that, if she’d been asked, the woman would have no concrete rationale as to why J.D. Vance is a puppet solely because she didn’t like having a mirror held up to her face. 

And Colorado Rep. Jason Crow misses the point by a country mile. 

I’m at the Munich Security Conference too & my message is different from VP Vance’s:

We stand behind our allies. Relationships make us strong. pic.twitter.com/IzDPwcHrys

— Rep. Jason Crow (@RepJasonCrow) February 14, 2025

Vance’s speech didn’t say one darned thing about abandoning our allies. Instead he urged Europe’s leadership to look within to shore up and support freedom instead of stifling speech and ideas they disagree with. Because who knows? Some of those ideas might make the country as a whole, stronger instead of weaker. 

When leaders start whining about how unacceptable J.D. Vance’s speech was…

JUST IN: German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius starts whining about JD Vance's speech, says it was "not acceptable."

Looks like Vance's speech was a success.

The whining came after Vance ripped European nations for criminalizing free speech and acting like tyrants.

"If I… pic.twitter.com/zM9DBo7V3M

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 14, 2025

They just made his point..in spades. 

In order for Europe to survive, they really do need to look within and right their ships. The question is, will they?

Feature Photo Credit: J.D. Vance/Flickr/Gage Skidmore/License CC BY-SA 2.0/cropped