During a tense exchange on Face the Nation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended Vice President J.D. Vance’s controversial speech at the Munich Security Conference, where Vance criticized European censorship laws. During a lie of questioning, CBS Host Margaret Brennan argued that free speech led to the rise of the Nazis, an insane claim that Rubio dismissed.
The jaw-dropping line of questioning left many wondering what was going on at CBS News.
This is the first time I’ve heard the theory that the Holocaust wasn’t conducted with gas chambers but with free speech zones. pic.twitter.com/mpWm6UH2F4
— Michael Brendan Dougherty (@michaelbd) February 16, 2025
Vance had accused European governments of adopting a “Soviet”-style approach to limiting speech, a claim that drew criticism given Germany’s strict hate speech laws. Brennan challenged Rubio, asking whether such rhetoric was constructive or merely alienated key allies. “What did all of this accomplish, other than irritating our allies?” she pressed.
Rubio rejected the idea that Vance’s comments were inflammatory, insisting that democratic societies should encourage open discussion. “Why would our allies be upset over free speech?” he argued. “They don’t have to agree with him, but being angry about it only proves his point.”
Brennan countered by citing Nazi Germany as an example of how free speech could be “weaponized” to facilitate genocide. She also highlighted Vance’s recent meeting with a far-right political figure, suggesting that the context of his remarks mattered.
The Secretary of State firmly disagreed. “Free speech didn’t enable genocide,” he stated. “The Holocaust was carried out by an authoritarian Nazi regime that silenced opposition and persecuted minorities. There was no free speech in Nazi Germany.”
Brennan’s claim is known as the Weimar Fallacy, a mistaken belief that excessive free speech led to the rise of Nazi Germany, when in reality, the Weimar Republic’s downfall was due to political instability, economic crises, and the suppression of democratic institutions. Proponents of this fallacy argue that unrestricted speech allowed extremist ideologies to flourish, but historical evidence suggests that the real issue was the government’s failure to counter authoritarian movements effectively. The Nazis exploited existing social and economic turmoil, used propaganda, and ultimately dismantled free speech once in power. Conflating open discourse with the rise of fascism ignores the broader factors—such as economic collapse and political violence—that truly enabled authoritarian rule.
Despite the heated debate, Rubio emphasized the importance of ongoing dialogue between the U.S. and its European allies, even when disagreements arise over fundamental rights. As the interview concluded, he reiterated that democracies must uphold free expression, even when it sparks controversy.
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Mr. Rubio totally destroyed her.
MB is a ‘victim’ of revisionist history like nearly all of the lame stream media. OTOH the majority of them CHOOSE to be willfully ignorant…………….
Brennan is a typical liberal. If the facts aren’t on her side she just makes up her own. TDS (and liberalism) are mental health issues . These people are suffering from mental illness. By definition they are crazy. They can’t see reality. They can only see thru hate filled hearts their own radical ideology. Pathetic.