Vice President JD Vance’s skepticism towards Europe has long been evident.
As the junior senator from Ohio, he criticised NATO spending habits, mocked EU technocrats and labeled U.S. support for Ukraine an “unsustainable indulgence.” As a senate candidate, he went further, famously saying he didn’t “really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another.”
When President Donald Trump selected Vance as his running mate, some allies hoped the weight of the office might moderate his views.
It didn’t…
Vance also angered European leaders when he told Fox News’ Sean Hannity this month that the U.S. economic pact with Ukraine was a better peace option than Ukraine being supported by “20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years.”
Now, the text-message debacle over the U.S. attacks on the Houthis is the latest example that Vice President Vance is the Trump team’s chief antagonist of Europe — both publicly and behind the scenes.
After Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made a case for the attacks, Vance responded: “If you think we should do it let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again.”
“I fully share your loathing of European free-loading,” Hegseth responded. “It’s PATHETIC.”
Why loathe Europeans
Michael McFaul asked: “Why does Vance loathe Europeans so much? I honestly don’t understood it. Explanations?”
Reactions
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This wasn’t very nice…
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He hit back…
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Related: Watch: Trump says a ‘fourth’ term could be possible, despite the Constitution
