One of Vance’s key claims for the decline of free speech in Europe left many UK observers dumbfounded. He rebuked the Scottish government for sending out letters in October 2024 cautioning citizens that, in his words, “even private prayer within their own homes may amount to breaking the law”.

At the Munich Security Conference, J.D. Vance confronted European leaders over their attacks on free speech, calling out their hypocrisy and challenging them to re-evaluate their values and