US Vice President JD Vance tangled with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during an Oval Office meeting on Thursday, accusing the United Kingdom of “infringements on free speech” and arguing that such restrictions impact US tech companies and, American citizens.
“I said what I said, which is that we do have, of course, a special relationship with our friends in the UK and also with some of our European allies,” the Republican vice president said.
“But we do have of course a special relationship with our friends in the UK and also our European allies, but we also know there have been infringements on free speech that affect not just the British – what the British do in their own country is up to them – but also affect American technology companies and by extension, American citizens. So that’s something we will talk about at lunch,” he added.
In response to the remark, Starmer asserted: “Well, we’ve had free speech for a very, very long time in the United Kingdom and it will last for a very, very long time. Certainly, we wouldn’t want to reach across US citizens, and we don’t, and that’s absolutely right, but in relation to free speech in the UK I’m very proud of our history there.”
Vance doubled down on his free speech concerns, reiterating his earlier remarks at the Munich Security Conference, where he stirred controversy in Europe by warning of “the threat from within” and criticizing what he described as Europe’s retreat from its core values—principles it shares with the United States.
This meeting took place as President Donald Trump hosted Starmer at the White House for discussions on Ukraine, with the British leader emphasizing the need for continued American leadership in securing peace should the three-year war come to an end.
Starmer’s visit follows that of French President Emmanuel Macron, highlighting growing European unease over Trump’s push to swiftly end the conflict, which many fear could lead to concessions favoring Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Following private talks, Starmer publicly praised Trump’s efforts to bring the war to a close but cautioned, “It can’t be peace that rewards the aggressor.” Standing alongside Trump, adding that, “History must be on the side of the peacemaker, not the invader,”
Starmer also formally invited Trump for a state visit to the UK on behalf of King Charles III—an offer the former president accepted. The prime minister described the invitation as “historic” and “unprecedented,” marking the second time Trump would receive such an honor.
