Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) defended his recent speech in Europe, where he addressed concerns over the erosion of free speech, during an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.

The discussion centered on Rubio’s decision to speak in a country with a history of censorship and far-right associations, with Brennan questioning whether the context of the location altered the message.

Brennan pressed Rubio on his decision, pointing to the historical backdrop of the country where he delivered his speech.

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“Well, he was standing in a country where free speech was weaponized to conduct a genocide, and he met with the head of a political party that has far-right views and some historic ties to extreme groups,” Brennan stated.

“The context of that was changing the tone of it. And you know that, that the censorship was specifically about the right.”

Rubio strongly disagreed with Brennan’s framing, emphasizing that Nazi Germany was not a society with free speech but rather an authoritarian regime that eliminated dissent.

“Well, I have to disagree with you. Free speech was not used to conduct a genocide. The genocide was conducted by an authoritarian Nazi regime that happened to also be genocidal because they hated Jews, and they hated minorities and they hated those that they had a list of people they hated, but primarily the Jews,” Rubio responded.

“There was no free speech in Nazi Germany. There was none. There was also no opposition in Nazi Germany, they were a sole and only party that governed that country. So that’s not an accurate reflection of history.”

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Rubio reiterated that his speech focused on the growing restrictions on free speech across Europe, which he sees as a critical issue affecting democratic values.

“I also think it’s wrong. Again, I go back to the point of his speech. The point of his speech was basically that there is an erosion in free speech and intolerance for opposing points of view within Europe, and that’s of concern because that is eroding,” he said.

Rubio noted that while this issue does not directly impact Europe’s military capabilities or economic standing, it strikes at the core values that form the foundation of transatlantic alliances between democratic nations.

Rubio also highlighted the necessity of allowing open discussion, even when world leaders disagree.

He pointed out that despite some European leaders’ reservations about his speech, diplomatic engagement between the U.S. and its allies remains strong.

“And I spoke to Foreign Ministers from multiple countries throughout Europe. Many of them probably didn’t like the speech or didn’t agree with it, but they were continuing to engage with us on all sorts of issues that unite us,” Rubio explained.

He also stressed that forums designed for open discussion should welcome diverse perspectives rather than function as echo chambers.

“That is a forum in which you’re supposed to be inviting people to give speeches, not basically a chorus where everyone is saying the exact same thing. That’s not always going to be the case when it’s a collection of democracies where leaders have the right and the privilege to speak their minds in forums such as these,” Rubio concluded.

NEW: Secretary of State Marco Rubio smacks down CBS News’ Margaret Brennan after she bizarrely claimed the Holocaust happened because of too much free speech.

Brennan verbally struggled as she tried relating JD Vance’s comments on free speech to Nazis.

Brennan: “[Vance] was… pic.twitter.com/9n1TdcRy1i

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 16, 2025

The exchange highlighted the ongoing debate over free speech, historical interpretation, and the role of democratic discourse in international relations.

Rubio maintained that discussing concerns openly, even in controversial settings, remains essential to preserving democratic values.

To provide even deeper context:

Would “hate speech” laws have stopped the Nazis?

No. Absolutely not.

In fact, hate speech laws existed in post-WWI Germany. They not only helped the Nazis gain power, they helped the Nazis censor anyone who challenged them.

FIRE Senior Fellow—and the daughter of a… https://t.co/ItCmjxImRc pic.twitter.com/bq1RXlRdZr

— FIRE (@TheFIREorg) February 16, 2025

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