JD Vance slaps down Mehdi Hasan over free-speech criticism: 'Yes dummy'

Vice President JD Vance entered into a social media feud with former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan over criticism that the Trump administration was acting hypocritically about free speech.

Vance gave a highly praised address at the Munich Security Conference that scolded European leaders for shutting down the right to free speech of their citizens. He appealed to the democratic values that should be shared in common between the U.S. and Europe.

'I think there’s a difference between not giving a reporter a seat in the WH press briefing room and jailing people for dissenting views.'

Among the critics who pounced on the speech to accuse the Trump administration of hypocrisy was Hasan. He pointed to the White House banning the Associated Press over the outlet's refusal to recognize the president's order to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

"Hey @JDVance, I know you’re busy lecturing the Europeans on free speech, but have you seen this?" said Hasan.

"Yes dummy," Vance responded on his official account.

"I think there’s a difference between not giving a reporter a seat in the WH press briefing room and jailing people for dissenting views," he explained. "The latter is a threat to free speech, the former is not. Hope that helps!"

Mehdi fired back in another missive that cited comments from Elon Musk calling for the imprisonment of "60 Minutes" journalists over allegations of unethical editing in an interview with Kamala Harris.

"Thank you Mr Vice President for taking time out of your busy schedule to call me names," Mehdi added.

"Did you not get the memo? Do you agree with Mr Musk on locking up US TV journos?"

"60 Minutes" was also criticized by Musk for misrepresenting the conditions for firings by the DOGE at the U.S. Agency for International Development.

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