In a blistering speech on Friday, U.S. Vice-President JD Vance told European leaders “there is a new sheriff in town under Donald Trump’s leadership” and warned governments that internal threats to democracy, like election cancellations and censorship, are greater threats to their countries than external antagonists like China and Russia.
“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 said, speaking at the Munich Security Conference. “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.
“I’ve heard a lot about what you need to defend yourselves from and of course, that’s important. But what has seemed a little bit less clear to me … is what exactly you’re defending yourselves for?”
Story continues below advertisement
In his own remarks to the conference, Vance lectured European officials on …