Vice President JD Vance used his first major international speech at the Munich Security Conference on Friday to defend Elon Musk—whose support for Germany's far-right AfD party has rattled European leaders as AfD officials have suggested migrants could be "gassed."
"Speaking up and expressing opinions isn't election interference, even when people express views outside your own country, and even when those people are very influential. And trust me, I say this with all humor, if American democracy can survive ten years of Greta Thunberg scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk," Vance said.
Vance: Expressing opinions isn’t election interference even when expressed outside of the country and even when they are very influential. If America democracy can survive Greta Thunberg scolding, you can survive Elon Musk pic.twitter.com/UyZCu7IDCv
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 14, 2025
Musk has been in the hot seat for virtually attending an Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party rally, where he encouraged Germans to move past Holocaust guilt and embrace national culture. His endorsement of AfD, coupled with his remark that "multiculturalism dilutes everything," has plunged him into trans-Atlantic controversy.
AfD, a party long criticized for extremist rhetoric, has seen officials caught using Nazi-era language, with one member reportedly stating that migrants "could still be shot later on... or gassed." International leaders have branded AfD a "party of treason" over alleged ties to Russia and China. Yet, the AfD is poised for its strongest election yet.
"Greta Thunberg wasn't setting government policy and cutting spending," one X user responded to Vance.
Greta Thunberg doesn't have the resources to undermine an election and government, Greta Thunberg is also not a Nazi
— John Freeman (@CockyFreeman) February 14, 2025
"Greta Thunberg doesn't have the resources to undermine an election and government, Greta Thunberg is also not a Nazi," another added.
Vance's speech zeroed in on what he called Europe's retreat from "fundamental values," accusing officials of weaponizing misinformation laws to silence populist voices. He blasted EU restrictions on so-called "hateful content" and took aim at the UK's handling of conscience rights.
His remarks embodied the Trump administration's push to curb foreign influence in U.S. affairs while sidestepping concerns over Musk's domestic and international political entanglements.
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