The Daily Populous Friday February 21st, 2025 evening edition
Authored by politico.eu and submitted by krlkv

His comments, which received loud applause from the CPAC crowd, continue a stark escalation in the Trump administration’s approach to transatlantic relations. The remarks follow a fiery speech Vance delivered earlier this month at the Munich Security Conference, where he lambasted European leaders for their migration policies and alleged censorship of political dissent.

Vance’s address in Munich drew sharp reactions across the European political spectrum, as he accused Western leaders of undermining democratic values through mass migration and speech suppression.

At CPAC, he further argued that Western governments, particularly under the previous Biden administration, had imposed a culture of censorship that mirrored policies in authoritarian states.

“The Biden administration did more to destroy free speech, not just in the United States, but also in Europe, than any administration in American history,” he said. “Follow the lead of Donald J. Trump, and that's free speech, borders and sovereignty. That is the future for our shared civilization.”

Vance’s comments signal that the Trump administration may be prepared to apply direct pressure on Germany and other NATO allies by threatening to withdraw or reduce the U.S. military footprint in Europe. Germany hosts around 35,000 U.S. troops, a legacy of America’s post-World War II security commitments and Cold War deterrence strategy.

While the Trump administration has long criticized European governments for not contributing enough to their own defense, Vance’s remarks tie the issue explicitly to Germany’s domestic policies rather than financial burden-sharing.

A spokesperson for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s office declined to comment directly but reiterated Berlin’s commitment to democratic principles and European security.

“I would prefer not to constantly react to statements from the administration," the spokesperson said. "I still believe in reason and in facts, and I hope that in America, the real facts will be heard. And that is what we must rely on.”

bond0815 on February 21st, 2025 at 14:17 UTC »

Friendly reminder that most US troops in Germany arent stationed there to "defend Germany" but to project US power globally.

Rammstein is the most important US military logistics hub outside of the US (from where allegedly the US also controls most of its global drone operations for legal reasons). Landstuhl is the biggest US military hospital outside of the US.

Both the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) and European command (EUCOM) are located in Stuttgart.

Withdrawing troops there would hurt the US militarily at least as much as Germany, if not more.

DigitalMountainMonk on February 21st, 2025 at 13:38 UTC »

Is he aware of the cost to relocate a base that is worth 1 billion dollars per year and houses over 50k Americans?

Is he aware of the cost to remove the equipment we have in Europe?

The answer is no. I can confidently tell you no one in this administration understands the value of a single dollar. They search for pennies by spending thousands.

Embarrassed_Map1112 on February 21st, 2025 at 13:28 UTC »

This man is a total moron. Now I see why Trump chose him. He’s a perfect puppet