Donald Trump endorses Russian-aligned Viktor Orbán for Hungary PM
President Donald Trump endorsed Viktor Orbán for Hungary’s prime minister. Orbán, a known autocrat, was cut off by the European Union in sensitive talks.
Orbán posted a message from Trump addressed to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Hungary—a political gathering in Budapest slated for Saturday.
“I also want to send my best wishes to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who I am endorsing, as you know. I am endorsing his election, which is coming up pretty soon. He has my complete and total endorsement,” Trump said in the message.
“The Prime Minister has been a strong leader who’s shown the entire world what’s possible when you defend your borders, your culture, your heritage, your sovereignty, and your values,” he continued in his praise of Orbán.
“He’s a fantastic guy, and it’s such an honor to endorse him. I endorsed him last time. He won,” Trump said, attributing part of the win to him.
“Despite all of the attacks, you have to understand that he keeps on winning, something that we all share in common,” Trump said, referring to criticisms levied against Orbán. He further complimented CPAC Hungary for upholding ‘conservative principles’—notably, its anti-immigration stance.
Common denominator: a foe of free speech
But winning an election doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to criticize. Most notably, Orbán’s government has control over news outlets. A research study published by the Institute of International Relations Prague described Hungary as an “informational autocracy.” The authors found that Orbán’s autocratic government employed communication campaigns that manipulate political campaigns to maintain popular support.
What does that mean for democracy? Essentially, Orbán’s government has totalitarian control over what information citizens can consume. According to the Associated Press, opposition politicians complained that they only get “five minutes of airtime every four years on public television,” the legal minimum to present their platforms before the election.
Perhaps Trump’s vendetta against the media is something he resonates strongly with Orbán. Trump has notably dismissed criticism as ‘fake news’ and has even implied violence against journalists during a campaign rally. Nevertheless, it’s telling for the supposed ‘leader of the free world’ to endorse a repressive candidate like Orbán. But principles aside, the Hungarian prime minister has also been accused of passing sensitive information to Russia.
A friend of the Kremlin
Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland suspects Orbán of siphoning information from EU Council meetings to Moscow. Tusk wrote on X, “The news that Orbán’s people inform Moscow about EU Council meetings in every detail shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. We’ve had our suspicions about that for a long time. That’s one reason why I take the floor only when strictly necessary and say just as much as necessary.”
A report from Politico alleged that politicians from Europe are worried about Hungary sending information to Russia.
Moreover, his government has maintained a hostile position against Ukraine. After Russian air strikes damaged an oil pipeline, Orbán blocked EU funding for Ukraine. He spun the story and accused Ukraine of ‘disrupting’ energy supplies for failing to repair the pipeline. This move from Orbán was widely condemned by the EU.
Putting European politics aside, Trump endorsing a man who not only disregards free speech but also antagonizes a US ally—Ukraine—presents an inconsistent and warped image of the United States in the realm of diplomacy.
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