Vice President JD Vance took the German stage one year ago in a speech that stunned many in Europe and became one of the defining moments of Trump’s early second term abroad. (Matthias Schrader/The Associated Press)
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California are among notable Democrats attending the conference, in addition to Rubio.
Vance became one of the central figures at the 2025 Munich gathering after a widely publicized speech that drew heavy attention and applause from conservatives following the Biden administration. It also sparked backlash among some European officials who viewed his remarks as confrontational.
Rubio's attendance at the 2026 meeting follows a lengthy history of the State Department chief earning a series of different roles under the second administration, including acting national security advisor, secretary of state, acting archivist of the United States and acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Amid rising trans-Atlantic tension, the secretary of state issued a warning to Europe as he departed for his trip to Germany Thursday.
VANCE, RUBIO GREET AMERICAN WINTER OLYMPIANS IN ITALY
"The Old World is gone," Rubio told reporters as he departed for Europe Thursday. "Frankly, the world I grew up in, and we live in a new era in geopolitics, and it's going to require all of us to re-examine what that looks like and what our role is going to be."
President Donald Trump and his administration repeatedly have put Europe on notice for allegedly devolving into a culture of political correctness, speech policing, and a security system that heavily relies on U.S. funding and military might. Amid the rhetoric on Europe, the administration has continued to underscore the importance of U.S.-Europe relations, including Rubio on Thursday.
"We’re very tightly linked together with Europe," he told reporters. "Most people in this country can trace both, either their cultural or their personal heritage, back to Europe. So, we just have to talk about that."
President Donald Trump holds up his signature on the founding charter during a signing ceremony for the Board of Peace at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22, 2026. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Just in December 2025, Trump blasted European nations for not being "recognizable" at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, teeing up what could be another fiery speech from Americans on European soil on Saturday.
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"I don't want to insult anybody and say I don't recognize it," Trump said during his special address in Davos. "And that's not in a positive way. That's in a very negative way. And I love Europe and I want to see Europe do good, but it's not heading in the right direction."
Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department for comment on the address Friday.
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