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Vance isn’t letting anyone off the hook. He’ll call Leftists out at every chance he gets.
And Vice President Vance goes on the attack over absurd 60 Minutes report.
Vice President JD Vance Condemns Germany’s Crackdown on Speech, Calls It a Threat to U.S.-Europe Relations
Vice President JD Vance has strongly criticized German prosecutors for what he describes as the “criminalization of speech” and warned that Europe’s increasing restrictions on expression could strain transatlantic relations.
His remarks come in response to a “60 Minutes” segment highlighting the strict enforcement of Germany’s online hate speech laws, which penalize individuals for insults, reposting false information, and other forms of expression deemed harmful.
Vance took to social media to express his disapproval of the German legal framework, stating bluntly: “Insulting someone is not a crime, and criminalizing speech is going to put real strain on European-US relationships.” He went on to label the situation “Orwellian” and called for rejection of what he sees as a dangerous precedent for both Europe and the United States.
Insulting someone is not a crime, and criminalizing speech is going to put real strain on European-US relationships.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) February 17, 2025
This is Orwellian, and everyone in Europe and the US must reject this lunacy. https://t.co/WZSifyDWMr
The CBS report featured German prosecutors Dr. Matthäus Fink, Svenja Meininghaus, and Frank-Michael Laue, who defended their country’s approach to online speech regulation.
When asked by correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi whether insulting someone was a crime in Germany, the prosecutors unequivocally affirmed it was—both in person and online. Fink further noted that online insults carry even harsher penalties, as digital content remains accessible indefinitely.
Germany’s legal system also criminalizes the dissemination of false information, including reposting misleading content on social media. Meininghaus explained that such actions are treated as offenses because readers cannot always discern whether a post was originally fabricated or simply re-shared. Repeat offenders face potential jail time.
While the U.S. does enforce hate crime statutes, these laws typically enhance sentences following convictions for violent threats or acts rather than for speech alone. Notable cases include a Washington state man sentenced to 30 months in prison for racially charged threats against a Black federal employee, and far-right influencer Douglass Mackey, who received a seven-month sentence in 2023 for attempting to mislead Black voters with false information during the 2016 election.
German officials justified their laws by pointing to the 2019 assassination of politician Walter Lübcke, whose pro-immigration stance drew years of online vitriol before he was m*rdered by a neo-Nazi extremist.
Prosecutors argue that unchecked online hate fueled the violent act, necessitating stricter regulations to curb dangerous rhetoric.
Vance, however, sees Europe’s approach as an overreach that undermines core democratic values.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, he denounced European governments for suppressing dissent and cited examples such as the cancellation of Romania’s presidential election and the arrest of Christian protesters who were silently praying outside abortion clinics in the UK.
“The threat that I worry the most about vis-à-vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor,” Vance asserted. “What I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America.”
He concluded with a stark warning: “You cannot win a democratic mandate by censoring your opponents or putting them in jail.”
WATCH:
JD Vance went to the Munich Security Conference and roasted the entire continent of Europe for being petty tyrants and criminalizing freedom of speech, including a British man arrested for praying at an abortion clinic.
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) February 14, 2025
pic.twitter.com/o51VoWZ6Mr
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