Administration

Trump urges Hungarians to ‘get out and vote for’ ally Orbán as election looms

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by Sophie Brams - 04/09/26 11:15 PM ET

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by Sophie Brams - 04/09/26 11:15 PM ET

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President Trump is encouraging Hungarians to “get out and vote” for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s reelection as the country prepares to head to the polls on Sunday.

Trump praised his close ally as a “truly strong and powerful Leader” in a Truth Social post on Thursday, crediting him with helping reach “new heights of cooperation and spectacular achievement” between the U.S. and Hungary.

“Hungary: GET OUT AND VOTE FOR VIKTOR ORBÁN,” Trump wrote. “He is a true friend, fighter, and WINNER, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election as Prime Minister of Hungary — VIKTOR ORBÁN WILL NEVER LET THE GREAT PEOPLE OF HUNGARY DOWN. I AM WITH HIM ALL THE WAY!”

Trump’s post included a picture of the two men from Orbán’s visit to the White House in November, a meeting that centered around the prime minister’s request for an exemption to import Russian oil amid U.S. sanctions.

The endorsement, which the president formally offered in February, comes after Vice President Vance traveled to Budapest this week to shore up support for Orbán ahead of the parliamentary elections on April 12.

Orbán has served as Hungary’s prime minister continuously since 2010 and has become a polarizing figure in global politics. Right-wing admirers hail his “illiberal” model of governance, while critics argue he has undermined the rule of law and press freedom to funnel resources to the country’s oligarchs.

He has also been criticized for his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and public opposition to Ukraine joining the European Union.

Orbán and his Fidesz party are facing their toughest test yet in the upcoming elections, with recent independent polling indicating that the Tisza opposition party is on track to win a two-thirds majority in Parliament, according to Reuters.

Opposition leader Péter Magyar told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview last Friday that the election would be a “referendum” on Hungary’s global standing.

“Hungarians still see that Hungary’s peace and development are guaranteed by membership of the European Union and NATO,” Magyar told the AP. “I think this really will be a referendum on our country’s place in the world.”

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