Vice President JD Vance found himself in an awkward on-air moment Tuesday when Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum confronted him about the stark contrast between his poorly received Munich Security Conference speech last year and Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s warmly applauded address at the same forum this month.
During an appearance on “The Story,” MacCallum pressed Vance on why his 2025 speech inspired “long faces” among European leaders while Rubio received a standing ovation for delivering similar messages about borders, security spending, and free speech. She pointedly asked, “So what happened with that? Why is that the outcome?”
Vance deflected with humor before praising his Cabinet colleague. “I heard somebody say that I was the bad cop so that Marco could be a good cop,” he said. “I mean, he gave a great speech.”
The vice president’s February 2025 appearance at the Munich conference sparked controversy when he accused Europe of “soviet”-style censorship and framed the continent’s biggest threat as coming from within rather than external adversaries. His embrace of far-right movements and confrontational tone rattled European leaders including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who this year declared that “the culture war of the MAGA movement is not ours.”
Rubio’s approach proved markedly different. The secretary of state called the United States “a child of Europe” and urged a “Western civilizational renaissance.” Conference chairman Wolfgang Ischinger told Rubio he wasn’t sure he “heard the sigh of relief through this hall,” calling it a message of “reassurance, of partnership.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she found his remarks “very reassuring.”
Vance defended the administration’s message, arguing that European leaders have begun responding to Trump administration priorities on security spending, border protection, and free speech protections.
“The problem that we have with Europe is not that we don’t like Europe,” Vance told MacCallum. “It’s that they are doing a lot of things to sabotage themselves. We would like that to stop. We’d like them to be an ally in the true sense of the word.”
The exchange comes amid speculation about the 2028 presidential race after President Donald Trump declined to endorse either Vance or Rubio when asked Wednesday about his preferred successor. Trump called both men “fantastic” and praised Rubio’s Munich performance while avoiding any commitment about the next Republican nomination.
MacCallum pressed Vance on whether he wanted Trump to simply name his vice president as the clear successor. Vance pushed back, saying there was no tension between him and Rubio, whom he described as his closest friend in the administration.
The media is trying to stir up a dispute that doesn’t exist, Vance said. Marco is doing excellent work, I’m doing my best, the president is doing a great job, and we’re all going to keep moving forward together.
When MacCallum asked if he wants to become president, Vance refused to take the bait. He noted he has held his current position for only a year and questioned why he should focus on future ambitions rather than his present responsibilities.
The Munich conference also featured other flashpoints involving American officials. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faced what Vance called the “most uncomfortable 20 seconds of television” he had ever seen when she struggled to answer a question about whether the U.S. should commit troops to defend Taiwan.
Several European leaders expressed concerns about Trump administration policies during the conference. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen acknowledged that “in the administration, some have a harsher tone” while discussions touched on Trump’s past threats regarding Greenland and shifting American foreign policy priorities.
Despite the diplomatic tensions, Vance maintained that the administration has made “a lot of progress” with European allies. He encouraged viewers to watch Rubio’s full speech, calling it a “very smart view of American foreign policy” that outlined the Trump administration’s approach to transatlantic relations.
The vice president acknowledged that some European leaders remain resistant to the administration’s message while others have begun embracing calls for increased defense spending, stronger border controls, and protection of free speech.