President Donald Trump meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, center left, alongside Vice President JD Vance, right, and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, left, at the White House. (Carl Court/Pool via AP)
On Thursday, as Starmer met with President Donald Trump and administration officials at the White House, Vance stood by his comments.
"I said what I said, which is that we do have, of course, a special relationship with our friends in the U.K. and also with some of our European allies," he said.
"But we also know that there have been infringements on free speech that actually affect not just the British. Of course, what the British do in their own country is up to them," Vance added. "But (it also affects) American technology companies and, by extension, American citizens. So, that is something that we’ll talk about today at lunch."
VANCE EVISCERATES 'SOVIET'-STYLE EUROPEAN CENSORSHIP IN ADDRESS TO MUNICH SECURITY CONFERENCE
Trump shakes hands with Starmer at the White House. (Carl Court/Pool via AP)
Starmer, seated just a few feet away next to Trump, quickly chimed in.
"We’ve had free speech for a very, very long time in the United Kingdom, and it will last for a very, very long time," the Labour Party politician said.
"Certainly, we wouldn’t want to reach across, and [regulate] U.S. citizens, and we don’t, and that’s absolutely right," he told Vance. "But in relation to free speech in the U.K., I’m really proud of that — our history there."
In Munich, Vance cited the case of a British army veteran who was convicted of breaching a safe zone around an abortion clinic where he silently prayed outside.
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He decried the enforcement of buffer zones, alleging that the Scottish government had warned people against private prayer within their own homes.
Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/jd-vance-spars-british-pm-free-speech-censorship-oval-office-meeting