Former President Donald Trump met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Friday. Trump hosted Orban with a tour of his residence, alongside dinner with Melania Trump and a one-hour meeting with senior aides. There was also entertainment by a band performing songs by Roy Orbison.
The meeting at Trump’s Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, made headlines worldwide as Trump praised Orban’s leadership. This is because the meeting came just a day after President Joe Biden criticized Trump and Republicans in his State of the Union address for not supporting Ukraine.
Orban has close ties with US conservatives and is known for his friendly stance towards Russia. Since leaving the White House in 2021, Trump has praised Orban on multiple occasions. Trump’s recent comments and praises were captured in a video posted on Orban’s Instagram account.
During their meeting, Trump praised Orban as a “fantastic leader” and also joked about criticism of Orban’s self-proclaimed illiberal tendencies. “Orban is a non-controversial figure because he says, ‘this is the way it’s going to be,’ and that’s the end of it,” Trump joked as seen in the video posted by Orban on Instagram. “Right? He’s the boss. No – he’s a great leader, fantastic leader.”
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According to Trump’s campaign statement, the two political figures discussed “a wide range of issues affecting Hungary and the US, including the paramount importance of strong and secure borders to protect the sovereignty of each nation.” However, President Joe Biden has expressed his displeasure with the meeting.
During a political rally in Philadelphia on Friday, Biden criticized the planned meeting, saying that Orban “doesn’t think democracy works” and was “looking for dictatorship.”
“You know who he’s meeting with today, down in Mar-a-Lago?” the US president told supporters in a campaign rally. “Orbán of Hungary, who stated flatly he doesn’t think democracy works and is looking for dictatorship.”
“I see a future where we defend democracy, not diminish it,” the president added. In the past, Orban had urged the West to stop financing for Ukraine, claiming it would pressure Kyiv into negotiating a ceasefire with Russia.
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The Biden administration had criticized Orban for his close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he met last October in China. Additionally, the State Department warned about legislation in Hungary that could “intimidate and punish” critics of Orban’s government.
For Orban, Friday’s meeting was an opportunity to change his image. It was also a chance for him to position himself as a potential link between Europe and the US, especially if Trump wins the November election. While leaders across Europe are reconnecting with Trump’s team, few have the close relationship that Orban shares with the former president.
Orban’s government has been building ties with Trump allies for years. Hungary has hosted satellite Conservative Political Action Conferences and nurtured relationships with right-wing influencers like Tucker Carlson.
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Following the meeting at Mar-a-Lago, Orban repeated his belief that a Trump victory would contribute to peace in Ukraine and the Middle East. “The election campaign is going at full steam here in the US,” Orban said in a Facebook video after meeting Trump. “It’s up to the Americans to decide. But let’s be honest, it would be best for the world and for Hungary if Donald Trump returned to the presidency.”
On Friday, Orbán posted a picture on Facebook of himself and Trump outside what seemed to be Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. Orbán wrote in English, “Make America great again, Mr. President!”
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