Hungary

Context

2014-07-23 The history of Hungary media suppression and spyware contracts parallel that of the US in 2025.

https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/cpj/2002/en/55962

https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/how-hungarys-orban-uses-control-of-the-media-to-escape-scrutiny-and-keep-the-public-in-the-dark/

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/03/19/trumps-friend-hungary-no-role-model-supporters-democracy

https://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2010-08-04/hungary-fidesz-taking-over-state-media#:~:text=On%2023%20July%2C%20the%20Hungarian,the%20NMHH%20as%20it%20wishes.

2024

2024-03-08 Trump called Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban “fantastic” while hosting him at Mar-a-Lago.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/08/politics/trump-orban-mar-a-lago

2024-04-26 Trump praised Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban again.

2024-09-10 Trump praised Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban during a presidential candidate debate.

2025-11-08 Trump met with his idol Viktor Orban to discuss granting Hungary an exemption on Russian oil and gas sanctions.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/07/trump-orban-hungary-russian-oil

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/07/europe/orban-trump-oil-sanctions-hungary-latam-intl

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/7/hungarian-leader-viktor-orban-to-meet-us-president-donald-trump

2026 February

2026-02-13 Trump endorsed Viktor Orban ahead of their upcoming elections in April. Trump also sent Rubio and Vance to visit him.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/22/trump-lauds-viktor-orban-far-right-leaders-gather-budapest

https://www.politico.eu/article/trump-affirms-complete-and-total-endorsement-of-orban-amid-clash-with-eu/

https://www.themarysue.com/donald-trump-endorses-russian-aligned-viktor-orban-for-hungary-pm/

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5737415-donald-trump-endorses-viktor-orban-hungary/

2026 March

2026-03-21 News sources reported that Russian intelligence proposed staging a fake assassination attempt on Orban ahead of their elections.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/03/21/hungary-election-interference-russia-orban/

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/03/21/8026556/

2026 April

2026-04-09 JD Vance travelled to Hungary in support for Victor Orban in the upcoming elections. After Vance visited, polls showed a decline in support for Orban.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/vance-humiliated-as-voters-turn-out-in-droves-to-reject-his-pleas-and-oust-viktor-orban-in-hungary/

https://www.nbcnews.com/world/europe/orban-hungary-university-exile-jd-vance-model-us-rcna267253

https://fortune.com/2026/04/12/hungary-election-loser-viktor-orban-ally-trump-putin-campaign-push-jd-vance/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jd-vance-viktor-orban-hungary-support-election/

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyv16lq2rp1o

https://www.npr.org/2026/04/09/nx-s1-5779235/jd-vance-stumps-for-hungarys-orban

2026-04-13 Hungary’s Peter Magyar defeated Orban.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/12/world/live-news/hungary-election-orban-magyar

https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/politics/lex-orban-tisza-peter-magyar-prime-minister-term-limit-retrospective/

2026-04-20 Hungary’s newly elected Prime Minister Peter Magyar declared his government would be legally obligated to detain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he enters Hungarian territory while still subject to an international criminal court arrest warrant.

https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/2026-04-20/ty-article/.premium/pm-elect-magyar-says-netanyahu-knows-hungary-must-arrest-him-amid-icc-warrant/0000019d-aba5-d11d-a9bf-abf7676f0000

https://www.politico.eu/article/peter-magyar-hungary-would-arrest-benjamin-netanyahu-israel/

https://www.jpost.com/international/article-893675