US President Donald Trump on Friday said Europe is "losing" its freedom of speech and praised Vice President JD Vance's remarks at the Munich Security Conference, calling his address "a very brilliant speech."
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office when asked about Vance's speech, Trump said: "I heard his speech, and he talked about freedom of speech. And I think it's true in Europe, it's losing, and they are losing their wonderful right of freedom of speech."
Trump also pointed to immigration as a major challenge for Europe, linking it to crimes across the continent.
"He talked about immigration. And Europe has a big immigration problem, just take a look at what's happened with crime, take a look at what's happening in various parts of Europe," he said.
"I thought his speech was very well received," he added.
In a fiery speech at the Munich Security Conference earlier on Friday, Vance criticized European politicians, institutions, and courts for what he described as a retreat from democratic principles.
"I believe that dismissing people, dismissing their concerns or, worse yet, shutting down media, shutting down elections or shutting people out of the political process protects nothing," he said, expressing concern over alleged warnings of canceling elections in Germany if the far-right AfD wins.
He drew a comparison, saying: "Trust me, I say this with all humor, if American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg scolding. You guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk."
He was referring to Musk's open support to the German far-right party and his live stream on X with AfD leader Alice Weidel, provoking discussions over possible electoral interference ahead of snap elections on Feb. 23.
Germany's defense minister sharply criticized Vance on Friday for claiming that European governments enforce anti-democratic policies and suppress critical voices.
"I must respond to the speech we heard earlier from the US vice president," Social Democrat Boris Pistorius said, adding that while European democrats take a firm stance against right-wing extremism, they remain fully committed to basic rights and freedoms.
