Rubio Defends Vance's Controversial Munich Speech

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended Vice President J.D. Vance's recent speech at the Munich Security Conference, where Vance criticized European leaders for censorship and asserted the importance of free speech. In a heated exchange on CBS's Face the Nation with host Margaret Brennan, Rubio rejected her claim that free speech had been 'weaponized' to facilitate genocide in Nazi Germany, clarifying that such atrocities were committed by an authoritarian regime without any free speech. He emphasized that Vance's points about the erosion of free speech in Europe were valid concerns that should be addressed openly among allies. Rubio argued that the backlash from European leaders only underscored Vance's message about the value of free expression in democracies. Additionally, he insisted that while people might disagree with Vance, the right to express differing opinions should be respected. The secretary noted that the U.S. has faced criticism without resorting to outrage, reflecting a broader commitment to democratic values shared with Europe.