‘If we can stand Greta, you can handle musk,’ says Vance to Europeans

The comparison caused dismay between diplomats and foreign leaders. Musk has been using his social network to attack European governments, disseminating hatred, chanceling misinformation as a political weapon and promoting far -right groups, including Germany.

Vance said, however, that “freedom of expression is backwards” in Europe and used his speech at the Munich security conference to condemn alleged censorship in the region.

The speech came a day after, visiting a college held by the Pentagon in Belgium, teachers were instructed to remove any sign of promoting diversity, such as messages to combat racism or tolerance to the LGBT movement. Even images with rainbow were removed before the visit.

For Vance, however, it was Joe Biden who “seemed desperate to silence people for talking what they think.”

“In Washington, there is a new sheriff in the city and, under the leadership of Donald Trump, we can disagree with their views, but we will fight to defend their right to introduce them to the public square-agree or disagree,” said Vance, who received a cold welcome in Munich.

Vance also criticized the measures aimed at keeping the far right out of politics: “There is no room for firewalls.” According to him, shut up the voices “protects nothing” and “is the safest way to destroy democracy.”