Rep. Laura Gillen (D-N.Y.) said Vice President Vance’s speech about censorship was “pure hypocrisy.”
Gillen joined a CNN panel on Sunday, where she weighed in on Vance’s speech in Munich, lambasting European officials and accusing them of censoring speech they disagreed with.
“It’s pure hypocrisy,” Gillen said. “What JD Vance is doing in Germany is really concerning.”
Gillen noted that since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, there has been a rise in antisemitism in her district and across the U.S.
“The Anti-Defamation League has called out [Alternative für Deutschland (AfD)], and JD Vance is embracing a group that flirts with Nazism,” the New York Democrat said. “It’s really, really disturbing.”
Vance met with a leader of the AfD party on Friday, making him the highest-ranking member to do so. The meeting took place ahead of Germany’s national elections on Feb. 23 and as world leaders gather in Munich for a security conference.
The meeting, and Vance’s subsequent speech, drew sharp criticism. He argued that the biggest threat facing Europe was not international adversaries, but mass migration and laws that restrict free speech, calling it a “threat from within.”
German officials didn’t receive Vance’s message well. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said it was unacceptable for Europe to be likened to authoritarian regimes. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also criticized Vance, saying his embrace of the AfD was “not appropriate.”
“It’s pure hypocrisy,” Gillen reiterated on the panel. “And let’s not forget the AfD is a party that’s being boosted by Elon Musk.”
Musk, the leader of President Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency,” has drawn criticism, too, for his embrace of the far-right political party.
Last month, Musk appeared virtually at a rally and urged attendees to not be ashamed of their country’s history. He has also been accused by the German government of tampering with the country’s elections.
