JD Vance rips ‘Orwellian’ German prosecutors for ‘criminalizing speech,’ says it will hamper Europe-U.S. relations | 17 Feb 2025 | Vice President JD Vance slammed German prosecutors on Monday for “criminalizing speech” — including the reposting of false information — and warned that the worsening trend will “strain” Europe’s relations with America. Vance, 40, lashed out at prosecutors who took part in a fawning feature by CBS News’ “60 Minutes” on how easily one can commit online hate crimes in Germany — just three days after the vice president scolded European leaders for stifling dissent, religious liberty and free speech in an address at the Munich Security Conference. “Insulting someone is not a crime, and criminalizing speech is going to put real strain on European-U.S. relationships,” Vance posted on X.