Trump Closely Aligns with 'European Strongman' Orban Ahead of Election

Orban's Side: "If Trump Had Been President, There Would Have Been No Ukraine War"

Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met on the 8th (local time) to showcase their friendship.

According to foreign media including the AP News, Orban, who is visiting the United States, visited the Mar-a-Lago resort owned by former President Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, late that day.

He posted scenes of meeting former President Trump, walking with him, and handing a bouquet to former First Lady Melania Trump on his Instagram account.

In the video, former President Trump praised Prime Minister Orban to the group, saying, "He is an indisputable figure," and "When he says 'this will happen,' that's the end of it." He added, "He is the boss."

Trump's side stated that the two discussed "a wide range of issues affecting Hungary and the United States, including the importance of strong and secure borders to protect national sovereignty."

Before visiting Mar-a-Lago on the same day, Prime Minister Orban gave a speech at the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. He did not visit the White House. The Heritage Foundation oversees 'Project 2025,' which is designing the blueprint for the next Trump administration.

After the speech, he wrote on his X (formerly Twitter), "Supporting families, fighting illegal immigration, and defending national sovereignty are the foundations of cooperation between American and European conservatives."

Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary.
Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Orban, who controls the media and judiciary and restricts LGBTQ rights and immigration, has become an icon for some conservative forces with his so-called "illiberal democracy." A close friend of former President Trump since his administration, he maintains the closest relationship with Russia among European Union (EU) leaders.

This meeting took place as former President Trump repeatedly praised authoritarian leaders and dictators such as Prime Minister Orban, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and North Korean State Chairman Kim Jong-un.

In response, the Orban government once again praised former President Trump.

Hungarian Foreign Minister P?ter Szijj?rt? wrote from Florida, welcoming Trump's "strength" and claiming that the world would be more peaceful if he were still president.

He wrote, "If Trump had been elected U.S. president in 2020, the Ukraine war, now in its third year, would not have happened, and the Middle East conflicts would have been resolved much sooner."

U.S. President Joe Biden said in a campaign speech in Pennsylvania on the same day, "Do you know who (former President Trump) met today at Mar-a-Lago? It was Orban of Hungary, who said democracy doesn’t work. He is looking for a dictator."

President Biden added, "I see a future where we protect democracy, not weaken it."