Rep. Laura Gillen (DN.Y.) said Vice President Vance's speech on censorship was “pure hypocrisy.”
Gillen Participated in the CNN panel On Sunday, she scrutinized Vance's speech in Munich, which accused European officials and accused them of censoring speeches they opposed.
“It's pure hypocrisy,” Gillen said. “There's really concern about what JD Vance is doing in Germany.”
Gillen pointed out that anti-Semitism has been on the rise in her district and in the United States since the start of the Israel-Hamas War.
“The Prevention Measures League has called for [Alternative für Deutschland (AfD)]and JD Vance is embracing groups that cheat on Nazism,” said Democrats in New York. “It's really, really annoying.”
Vance met with the leader of the AFD party on Friday and made him the best member to do so. The conference began to gather in Munich for a security conference ahead of the German national election on February 23rd.
The meeting and Vance's subsequent speech drew sharp criticism. He argued that the biggest threat facing Europe is not its international enemy, but laws that restrict large-scale migration and freedom of speech, which they call it a “internal threat.”
German officials were not receiving Vance's message well. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said it was unacceptable for Europe to compare it to an authoritarian regime. German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz also criticized Vance, saying that the AFD embrace was “not appropriate.”
“It's pure hypocrisy,” Gillen repeated on the panel. “And don't forget that AFD is a party boosted by Elon Musk.”
Musk, the leader of President Trump's “Government Efficiency Department,” elicited criticism for the embrace of far-right parties.
Last month, Musk effectively appeared at AFD rallies, urging attendees not to ashamed of their country's history. He has also been accused by the German government of tampering with the country's elections.
