JD Vance rebukes anti-free speech, anti-Christian discrimination in Munich speech

February 17, 2025

In a speech before the Munich Security Conference on Friday, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance criticized European governments for suppressing free speech and discriminating against Christians.

The Christian Post reports that Vance urged leaders to reverse their crackdown on individuals who have been investigated, arrested, prosecuted or fined for protesting abortion or expressing their views on social media.

Vance’s address also condemned attempts to exclude populist parties from political collaboration, saying that such actions pose a threat to democracy.

Vance told attendees at the Munich conference, “I can tell you plainly: There can be no security if you are afraid of the voices, the opinions, and the conscience that guide your own people. What I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values.”

According to the Christian Post, the European Union introduced new measures last month to enforce the Digital Services Act which limits American speech on social media platforms in Europe.

European officials claim the act targets “foreign interference” and “illegal content” by compelling social media companies to remove said content or face penalties of up to 6% of their global annual turnover.

Vance acknowledged a suspected terror attack in Munich where an Afghan immigrant drove through a crowd injuring more than two dozen people. Vance stated, “No voter in Europe went to the ballot box to open the floodgates to millions of economic migrants.”

The Vice President also called upon German politicians to respect voter preferences by rejecting the so-called “firewall” between established parties not to cooperate with the Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Vance also cited examples of anti-Christian policies, pointing out that individuals in the U.K. and Sweden have been punished for expressing religiously motivated views.

Attendees were also reminded that future American support on security matters should not be taken for granted when European governments are curtailing religious freedom and free speech.

Photo: top, Credit: Thomas Kienzle/AFP via Getty Images