Rubio Defends Vance's Munich Speech Amid Backlash

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended Vice President JD Vance's speech at the Munich Security Conference and his meeting with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party leader, Alice Weidel. Vance's comments about threats to free speech in Europe sparked backlash from European leaders, with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and French President Emmanuel Macron expressing outrage. Rubio dismissed concerns linking the AfD to Nazi ideology, emphasizing the importance of free speech and questioning why allies would be upset by such discussions. In a tense exchange on CBS's 'Face the Nation,' host Margaret Brennan challenged Rubio on the implications of Vance's meeting with the AfD, which is under scrutiny for extremism. Meanwhile, Jewish groups condemned the AfD's history of antisemitism, highlighting the party's controversial figures and their connections to extremist rhetoric. Overall, the exchange highlights a growing divide between U.S. and European perspectives on free speech and political extremism.