Vice President JD Vance on Thursday defended his remarks about government censorship in Europe, emphasizing that free speech is under threat in Britain and beyond. His comments came while U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer sat just a few feet away in the Oval Office, adding an awkward layer to an already delicate diplomatic meeting.
Vance’s remarks stem from a speech he gave two weeks ago at the Munich Security Conference, where he accused several European nations of undermining free expression—an issue that remains fiercely protected under the U.S. Constitution. Addressing the press from the White House, the vice president reaffirmed his position.
“I said what I said, which is that we do have, of course, a special relationship with our friends in the U.K. and also with some of our European allies,” Vance stated in response to a reporter’s question. “But we also know that there have been infringements on free speech that actually affect not just the British. Of course, what the British do in their own country is up to them, but these policies also impact American technology companies and, by extension, American citizens. So that is something that we’ll talk about today at lunch.”
Starmer, whose visit to Washington centered around discussions on Ukraine with President Donald Trump, swiftly pushed back against Vance’s claims.
“We’ve had free speech for a very, very long time in the United Kingdom, and it will last for a very, very long time,” Starmer said. “Certainly, we wouldn’t want to reach across U.S. citizens, and we don’t, and that’s absolutely right. But in relation to free speech in the U.K., I’m very proud of that—our history there.”
Clash of Values Amid Diplomatic Talks
The exchange between Vance and Starmer highlighted a broader philosophical divide between the U.S. and some of its European allies. While the U.S. adheres to a stringent interpretation of free speech under the First Amendment, European nations, including the U.K., have enacted laws that limit certain types of speech, particularly in cases of hate speech, misinformation, and sensitive social issues.
One of the most contentious examples cited by Vance was the case of British Army veteran Adam Smith-Connor, who was convicted for silently praying outside an abortion clinic within a government-imposed “buffer zone.” Smith-Connor was ordered to pay over 9,000 pounds in prosecution costs, a ruling that many conservative and religious freedom advocates see as emblematic of growing speech restrictions in Europe.
“I wish I could say that this was a fluke—a one-off, crazy example of a badly written law being enacted against a single person,” Vance said in his Munich speech. “In Britain, and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat.”
His comments stirred backlash among European officials. German diplomat Christoph Heugsen lamented the “fear” that Vance’s words had instilled among conference attendees, while other European politicians dismissed his concerns as misplaced or exaggerated.
However, the speech also found praise in some circles, with President Trump calling it “brilliant” and “very well received.”
A Diplomatic Balancing Act
Despite the free speech controversy, Starmer’s visit to Washington was primarily focused on addressing the ongoing war in Ukraine. The U.K. prime minister met with President Trump to discuss next steps for ending the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Starmer’s trip followed a similar meeting earlier in the week between Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron. The diplomatic push is expected to culminate on Friday, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives in Washington to finalize a deal granting the U.S. access to Ukraine’s critical earth minerals in exchange for continued American protection against Russian aggression.
The agreement marks a major development in the negotiations aimed at bringing an end to the war, underscoring the high stakes of these discussions. But even as world leaders work to forge peace, the ideological debate over free speech remains a point of contention between the U.S. and its European allies.
Vance’s willingness to call out perceived speech restrictions abroad, even in the presence of a key ally like Starmer, signals a shift in how the U.S. approaches transatlantic relations under the Trump administration. Whether his criticisms will lead to any policy changes—or simply deepen existing rifts—remains to be seen.
