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US vice president JD Vance drew flake after he compared Elon Musk with Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, dismissing allegations of election interference, immigration, free speech, and populism at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
“If American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg’s scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk,” he had said.
Although Vance’s remarks failed to get laughs at the conference, German defense minister Boris Pistorius slammed the president claiming that he “called into question democracy for the whole of Europe.”
“He is comparing conditions in parts of Europe with those in authoritarian regimes… that is not acceptable,” he said.
German government’s spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit also warned Vance to refrain from foreign interference in Germany’s internal affairs.
“Outsiders should not be meddling in the internal affairs of a friendly country,” Hebestreit said, adding that those making such statements “may not have a full overview of the political debate.”
Meanwhile, users on X backed Vance and one saying he is the “best VP that America has ever had.”
“This country’s stupidity on the world stage under this unqualified administration is unacceptable. JD Vance’s Greta joke falls flat at Munich Security Conference,” another user wrote
Vance, during his speech, launched a scathing critique of European policies, asserting that the greatest threat to democracy in Europe comes from within rather than external adversaries like Russia or China.
“There is a new sheriff in town under Donald Trump’s leadership,” Vance declared, reinforcing the administration’s hardline stance on issues such as border security and ideological battles over free speech. Vance’s speech came amid heightened tensions between the United States and European allies over defence spending, trade, and governance.
He criticised European leaders for allegedly suppressing dissenting voices, saying, “We may disagree with your views, but we will fight to defend your right to offer it in the public square. Agree or disagree.”
Specifically targeting Germany, which faces elections on February 23, Vance urged European countries to “change course” on immigration. He linked his concerns to a recent attack in Munich, where a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker allegedly rammed a car into a crowd, injuring 36 people.
“How many times must we suffer these appalling setbacks before we change course and take our shared civilisation in a new direction?” Vance questioned. “An asylum seeker, often a young man in his mid-20s already known to police, rams a car into a crowd and shatters a community.”
Speaking to reporters in Washington, Trump reacted to Vance’s criticism of longstanding US partners.
He said that he listened to Vance’s remarks. “He talked about freedom of speech. And I think it’s true in Europe,” Trump stated. “They’re losing their wonderful right of freedom of speech.”
The President even claimed that Europe suffers from a “big immigration problem.”