During the Munich Security Conference, JD Vance shifted focus from external threats, asserting that America's European allies face more significant internal challenges. He minimized concerns about foreign election interference, suggesting that if democracy can be so easily swayed, it lacks strength. His comments drew sharp criticism from German officials, including Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who deemed them unacceptable, especially as they seemed to parallel conditions in authoritarian regimes. Vance argued for the importance of public opinion in a democracy, generating controversy in the process.
"You can believe it's wrong for Russia to buy social media advertisements to influence your elections... but if your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising from a foreign country, then it wasn't very strong to begin with."
"If I understood him correctly, he is comparing conditions in parts of Europe with those in authoritarian regimes. That is unacceptable, and it is not the Europe and not the democracy in which I live and am currently campaigning."
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