Vice President J.D. Vance unleashed a scorching rebuttal to far-left reporter Mehdi Hasan during an online confrontation that has since gone viral.
Vance, who had just delivered a powerful speech at the Munich Security Conference last week, criticized European leaders for their assault on free speech, condemning their use of ‘misinformation’ laws to suppress dissent and control political narratives.
“The threat that I worry the most about vis-a-vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor. What I worry about is the threat from within. The retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values: values shared with the United States of America,” Vance said.
“Free speech, I fear, is in retreat and in the interests of comedy, my friends, but also in the interest of truth, I will admit that sometimes the loudest voices for censorship have come not from within Europe, but from within my own country, where the prior administration threatened and bullied social media companies to censor so-called misinformation.
“So I come here today not just with an observation, but with an offer. And just as the Biden administration seemed desperate to silence people for speaking their minds, so the Trump administration will do precisely the opposite, and I hope that we can work together on that.
“In Washington, there is a new sheriff in town. And under Donald Trump’s leadership, we may disagree with your views, but we will fight to defend your right to offer them in the public square,” Vance said.
Vance’s remarks hit a nerve among European elites, who quickly erupted in outrage.
On Monday, Hasan took to social media to challenge Vance’s stance on free speech, tweeting, “JD Vance, I know you’re busy lecturing the Europeans on free speech, but have you seen this?”—referring to an incident where a far-left AP reporter was denied a seat in the White House press briefing room.
Vance didn’t mince words in his retort. He responded, “Yes dummy. I think there’s a difference between not giving a reporter a seat in the WH press briefing room and jailing people for dissenting views. The latter is a threat to free speech, the former is not. Hope that helps!”
Vance’s retort highlighted a fundamental difference: in America, even if a reporter is denied access to the White House press room, they can still voice their opinions freely online, on air, or in print.
Meanwhile, in parts of Europe, expressing an opinion contrary to the state narrative can lead to legal repercussions, fines, or worse.
Vance’s rebuttal not only put Hasan in his place but also served as a reminder to all watching that the fight for free speech is far from over, and America, under leaders like Vance, will not bend to the whims of those who would rather control thought than promote open dialogue.
The post ‘Yes, Dummy’ — VP JD Vance Fires Back at Far-Left Reporter Mehdi Hasan Who Attempts to School Him on Free Speech appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.