Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading the U.S. delegation to this year’s Munich Security Conference, a high-profile gathering that one year earlier saw Vice President JD Vance deliver a speech that reshaped the American message to Europe. The administration is using the trip to press an America First foreign policy, warn about shifts in European politics, and show a united front after a busy stretch of diplomacy in Italy and the region. Rubio’s appearance comes amid broader debates about free speech, security burdens, and trans-Atlantic ties. Expect blunt talk, firm lines about resources, and reminders that U.S. priorities have changed.
The White House framed Rubio’s trip as part of a broader team effort. “President Trump has assembled the most talented team in history, including Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio, who are working in lockstep to notch wins for the American people,” Olivia Wales said ahead of the speech. That line sets the tone: the administration wants its diplomacy to look like purposeful muscle, not placating rhetoric.
The Munich Security Conference draws presidents, ministers, military chiefs, and policy makers for frank talks on global security, and the audience this year includes notable Democrats alongside U.S. delegates. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Gov. Gavin Newsom are listed among attendees, which gives Rubio a chance to press GOP priorities in mixed company. The forum’s public panels and private rooms make it a stage for testing arguments and alliances.
JD Vance’s 2025 appearance at Munich remains a reference point for the administration, and it continues to provoke attention. His blunt message about internal threats to European democracy — including concerns about speech policing and cultural conformity — landed with conservative audiences and rattled some European leaders. Vance argued the continent’s greatest risk wasn’t always Moscow or Beijing but what he called the decay of democratic norms at home.
Rubio’s role in the administration has expanded into multiple responsibilities, and his presence in Munich follows a string of diplomatic moves across Europe. He has served in several temporary posts and has been visible in bilateral meetings and at the Olympics, signaling the depth of his involvement. That continuity is central to the White House narrative that its team can manage crises and reset relationships on American terms.
As he departed for Germany Rubio issued a sharp warning, saying, “The Old World is gone.” He went on to explain that geopolitics have changed and that countries need to rethink roles, commitments, and expectations. He also stressed ties with Europe, arguing “We’re very tightly linked together with Europe” and reminding audiences of shared cultural and familial roots that bind trans-Atlantic relations.
Vance’s message in 2025 accused some European institutions of shading into censorship, and his critics said the tone was confrontational. He pointed to policies that police speech, restrict religious expression, and pressure online platforms, and he warned elites were trying to manage outcomes by labeling dissent “misinformation.” “What I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values — values shared with the United States of America,” he said.
Beyond rhetoric, the administration has taken concrete steps that underscore its posture toward Europe and the internet age, including actions directed at the EU’s Digital Services Act and new visa restrictions aimed at officials accused of censoring Americans online. Critics labeled the DSA “Orwellian” censorship in administration statements, and officials have signaled they will not shy from punishing policies that limit speech. Those moves are part of a broader diplomatic push to reassert American priorities.
Meanwhile Vance has kept an active foreign policy schedule, meeting with leaders in Armenia and Azerbaijan and signing cooperation agreements in the region. That work followed a string of engagements that included a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and participation in international events alongside Rubio. Not every senior leader attends Munich every year, and a source close to the matter says there were never plans for the vice president to go in 2026, leaving Rubio as the principal American voice at the conference.
The Trump team has repeatedly framed its Europe messaging in blunt terms, criticizing what it sees as political correctness and overreliance on U.S. security. Trump himself said at Davos, “I don’t want to insult anybody and say I don’t recognize it,” and warned that Europe is heading in the wrong direction while stressing his desire to see the continent succeed. That mix of critique and interest in strong partnership will shape Rubio’s appearances and the talking points he brings to Munich.
