US President Donald Trump on Monday escalated his criticism of Europe, saying the continent was “going in some bad directions” and denouncing a recent multimillion-euro penalty against Elon Musk’s social media platform X.
Speaking at the White House, Trump called Europe “very bad, very bad for the people” and warned the United States did not want to see the continent “change so much.” He offered no detailed examples but cautioned that Europe “has to be very careful doing a lot of things.” Asked about the penalty on X, he said, “I don’t see how they can do that,” and noted Musk had not sought his help; he said he expected a full briefing later in the day.
EU tech regulators last week fined X €120 million under the bloc’s Digital Services Act, finding the platform failed to meet transparency obligations. Officials said X withheld data from researchers, maintained an incomplete advertising repository, and used deceptive design in its blue-check verification system.
Musk rejected the penalty, reposting criticisms of the decision and saying that “Freedom of speech is the bedrock of democracy.” Senior U.S. figures including Senator Marco Rubio and Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr also blasted the EU action, arguing it unfairly targeted American firms.
Brussels disputed claims of bias, defending the fine as proportionate and stressing that the Digital Services Act is not intended as censorship and applies equally to all platforms. EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said the rules are designed to ensure transparency and accountability online.
The dispute comes as a newly released U.S. national security strategy warned of democratic “erosion” in parts of Europe, citing issues such as restrictions on free speech, suppression of opposition, falling birthrates and weakening national confidence. The European action follows similar scrutiny of other platforms: TikTok avoided a fine in May after pledging improvements to its advertising transparency systems and has urged consistent enforcement across services.
The clash highlights growing transatlantic tensions over how to regulate large tech platforms, balance free speech and public accountability, and apply new digital rules to U.S.-based companies operating in Europe.