Former President Barack Obama rubbed the Trump administration’s nose in its own failure in the wake of the Hungarian election.
President Donald Trump dispatched Vice President JD Vance to Europe to whip up support for autocrat Viktor Orbán, whose 16 years in power came to an end with a landslide victory for rival Péter Magyar on Sunday.
“The victory of the opposition in Hungary yesterday, like the Polish election in 2023, is a victory for democracy, not just in Europe but around the world,” Obama wrote in the wake of Vance’s mission to central Europe. “Most of all, it’s a testament to the resilience and determination of the Hungarian people—and a reminder to all of us to keep striving for fairness, equality and the rule of law.”
In Poland’s 2023 election, pro-NATO, pro-EU candidate Donald Tusk became prime minister by defeating the right-wing, populist-nationalist Law and Justice party. Sunday’s emphatic result in Hungary dealt a similar blow to its populist-nationalist movement, which Trump champions.
Many in Hungary had been desperate for change, and the divorced father of three, Magyar, and his Tisza party promised to give it to them, pledging to improve ties with historic ally Poland and to smooth relations with Europe.
Under Orbán, 62, Hungary occupied a unique place in world politics. A member of the European Union, it frequently opposed the bloc and was a regular thorn in the side of Brussels.
Orbán also had the backing of Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian leader had promised ahead of the election to ensure that Hungary’s fuel imports remained stable, despite global uncertainty about stock levels stemming from the war in Iran.
The Fidesz leader’s ties to the Kremlin have been a frequent headache for Hungary’s European Union partners. Budapest has moved to block sanctions against Moscow, slow EU aid packages for Kyiv, and frame Ukraine and its leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, as the aggressor in Ukraine’s war against Russian invaders.
Trump, meanwhile, sent his possible successor, Vance, to personally sell the Hungarian people on the merits of Orbán and his philosophy of illiberal democracy under which they have lived for three terms.
“My Administration stands ready to use the full Economic Might of the United States to strengthen Hungary’s Economy, as we have done for our Great Allies in the past, if Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the Hungarian People ever need it,” Trump, 79, wrote on Truth Social on Sunday, ahead of the vote.
“We are excited to invest in the future Prosperity that will be generated by Orbán’s continued Leadership!”
The pair have been close since Orbán became the first and only EU leader to endorse him in 2016, the BBC reports.
On Saturday, Hungary’s long-time leader seemed buoyed by Washington’s support. “America stands with us. Hungary is proud to be a great ally,” he wrote on X.
During 41-year-old Vance’s visit, he spoke to crowds in English about the danger of foreign election interference.
Sitting on stage with Orbán, he said Hungary had faced, “one of the worst examples of foreign election interference that I have ever seen or ever even read about… because they hate this guy,” pointing at Orbán.
He added that the“interference that’s come from the bureaucracy in Brussels has been truly disgraceful.”
At a later rally, Vance said, “We want you to make a decision about your future with no outside forces pressuring you or telling you what to do. I’m not telling you exactly who to vote for but what I am telling you is that the bureaucrats in Brussels, those people should not be listened to.”
He also pulled a bizarre stunt, calling Trump from the lectern and putting him on speakerphone. The call succeeded on the second attempt, after the first went to voicemail.
This has been a week to forget for Vance. His next stop was Pakistan, where his attempts to negotiate a peace deal with Iran fell apart.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and Vance’s office for comment.
