US Vice President JD Vance came to the defense of billionaire Elon Musk on Friday at the Munich Security Conference, rebuking European leaders for accusing him of political meddling.
Vance dismissed the criticism, drawing a humorous parallel between Musk’s influence and that of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. “If American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg’s scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk,” he quipped.
He contended that closing down opposing voices in the name of defending democracy actually works against it. “Dismissing concerns, shutting down media, or excluding people from the political process doesn’t protect democracy it destroys it,” Vance said.
Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference:
“If the American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunburg scolding, you can survive a few months of Elon Musk.” pic.twitter.com/LAc9X3KRda
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 14, 2025
‘Expressing Opinions Isn’t Meddling’
The vice president dismissed accusations that Musk’s outspoken political views constituted election interference. “Speaking out and having opinions isn’t election interference, even when individuals do so in a foreign country, and even when they are extremely influential,” he said.
Musk’s Rising Influence in European Politics
Even being a principal ally of US President Donald Trump, Musk has been an active participant in European politics. He has openly endorsed far-right parties such as Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Reform UK, which European leaders have received with indignation.
Musk recently took a shot at British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urging new elections and proposing that the US “liberate” Britain. Starmer responded by calling Musk out for spreading disinformation. The government of Germany also criticized Musk’s support for AfD as election interference.
Thunberg, on the other hand, emerged as an international figure in Trump’s first term for her environmental activism. She referred to Trump as the “more dangerous” candidate ahead of the 2024 US presidential election.
