Addressing the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Friday, Vice President JD Vance condemned European governments over their increasing restrictions on free speech.

Let’s be clear: the Trump administration is far from an archon of free speech majesty. President Donald Trump loves to engage in normally frivolous defamation lawsuits that are designed to deter critical media coverage. The president too often suggests that free speech only applies to speech he agrees with. Similarly, the White House’s suspension of public visitor records undermines transparent government. The suspension of the AP’s access to Oval Office briefings in retaliation for its refusal to identify the Gulf of America/Mexico as the Gulf of America is also problematic. It puts the president’s ego before the public interest in effective scrutiny of government.