The Munich Security Summit was dominated by anxieties over the direction of US foreign policy under President Donald Trump. While US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s remarks on Saturday offered some reassurance that the alliance would not break, they did not fully calm European leaders.
However, Rubio was not the only American voice present. A contingent of Democratic politicians, including potential 2028 presidential nominees, worked to convince allies that Trump’s tenure is temporary, echoing the sentiment of the old Persian poet: “This too shall pass.”
“Donald Trump is temporary. He’ll be gone in three years,” declared California Governor Gavin Newsom at a conference event on Friday, speaking for many of the American legislators and governors in attendance.
A Counterpoint to Trump’s Rhetoric
Democrats at the summit emphasized a commitment to the US-Europe partnership, offering a perspective similar to Rubio’s but without his criticism of European cultural trends.
“The reason we’re here is to provide reassurance that we understand how important our European allies are,” stated Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire. Republican Senator Thom Tillis concurred, urging allies not to be distracted by the “rhetoric of American politics” as the US and Europe were not in a “civil war.”
Such reassurances have been necessary given Trump’s actions—including imposing steep tariffs, his administration’s desire to reshape the international order, and a focus on the Western Hemisphere. The president’s push to acquire Greenland, repeated just before leaving for Florida, served as a recent jarring example of this shift.
Addressing Domestic Concerns
The Democrats’ message in Munich also touched on domestic issues, reflecting the extent to which Trump’s boundary-testing has been felt at home.
Virginia Senator Mark Warner expressed alarm over the potential threat to the freedom and fairness of the November midterm elections, citing the president’s talk of nationalizing elections and imposing stringent voting identity requirements via executive order. “I never thought I would say that in 2026 America,” he remarked. Trump has defended his efforts—including the proposed SAVE act for a national voter ID—as popular and necessary to prevent impersonation.
Senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin, recently targeted by an unsuccessful Department of Justice indictment attempt, also commented on the intense political climate. Slotkin simply acknowledged that America was “going through something profound,” but affirmed, “We’ll get through it.”
From Wealth Inequality to Authoritarianism
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a major attraction second only to Rubio, connected growing wealth inequality—a centerpiece of her domestic policy since 2018—with the global rise of authoritarianism.
“It is of the utmost urgency that we get our economic houses in order and deliver material gains for the working class,” she argued, “Otherwise, we will fall into a more isolated world governed by authoritarians who also do not deliver to working people.”
This view, though coming from a different faction of the Democratic Party, aligned with the perspective that Western democracies must offer a compelling model against authoritarianism, a sentiment echoed by former President Joe Biden.
The Democrats’ Unifying Message
Trump’s “America First” policy and cultural preservation rhetoric offer a stark contrast to the views of his opponents. Following a tumultuous year set off by Vice-President JD Vance’s confrontational speech at the previous year’s conference, and despite Rubio’s attempts to smooth tensions, the Democrats in Munich offered a distinct counterpoint.
Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego summarized their purpose: “Right now, Europe just wants us to be better, right? And I think this has been a very good conference to reassure nerves… Sometimes you have to remind them that this is not all Trump… We’re still here.”
