OPINION:

German Chancellor Friedrich Merztold a crowd of foreign heads of state at the Munich Security Conference that the “United States’ claim to leadership has been challenged and possibly lost.” 

And Americans laughed, and we laughed, and we laughed.

Why? 

Because these ain’t puppet Joe Biden times any longer. This isn’t the Barack Obama apology tour any longer.

On Thursday, a day before departing for Europe for the conference, Secretary of State Marco Rubiosaid this: “The old world is gone.” He was speaking much more diplomatically and making the case for more conversations with U.S. allies about the new realities of the geopolitical situation. But no doubt he also meant that it’s a different White House, different list of priorities.

The old style of globalist governance that was favored by Biden, and doubly favored by Obama during his two terms as president, is gone. Out with the New World Order, in with the MAGA. Out with the One World Order, in with the America First.

That makes Merz’s remarks even more laughable.

“In the era of great power rivalry, even the United States will not be powerful enough to go it alone,” hesaid, The Hill reported.

He called for a strengthening of NATO, a collaboration of European countries to stand against America, and a “new transatlantic partnership.” Code: another new world order.

“The battle of cultures, of MAGA in there U.S., is not ours,” Merz said. “Freedom of speech here ends where the words spoken are directed against human dignity and our basic law.” Code: Government must control speech.

“We do not believe in tariffs and protectionism, but in free trade. We stick to climate agreements and the World Health Organization because we’re convinced that global challenges can only be solved together,” Merz said. Code: Sovereignty must not get in the way of the plans of the global elites.

That’s all fine and dandy.

But foreign heads of state must realize that America was forged in fights for freedom — and not the globalist kind of freedom where select chosen bureaucrats can pick who receives and who does not; who has and who has not. Rather, America was founded on a fight for independence from burdensome government and on a recognition of the Creator as the one who gives rights and freedoms to each and every individual. Americans have always had a “go it alone” approach because Americans have been born into a system that demands self-reliance, independence and self-sufficiency as a condition of keeping government in check.

The globalists have never understood this.

The global elites in the global organizations that seek to bring the world to a point of global governance have never understood the concept of God-given individual rights because they have spent their entire lives seeking to dominate in the political systems. Those who see government as the means of achieving personal power can never coexist peaceably with those who view government as a necessary force that must be constrained, else grow evil.

At last year’s Munich conference, Vice President J.D. Vanceshocked the senses of the European elites by condemning their attacks on free speech, on free expression, on freedom of religion. But they shouldn’t have been shocked.

That’s just America.

America is freedom, and America fights for freedom.

And between 2025 and 2026, nothing’s changed. America is still a country of God-given rights and liberties.

Munich is just another stage for the United States to showcase American Exceptionalism. The globalists, if they’re smart, will simply smile, applaud and wish America a happy 250th.

• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “God-Given Or Bust: Defeating Marxism and Saving America With Biblical Truths,” is available by clicking HERE.