Can Donald Trump save Viktor Orbán? - POLITICO

BUDAPEST — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is facing the toughest election of his 16-year rule, and U.S. President Donald Trump and his MAGA movement are mobilizing to help him.

Polls suggest the Hungarian leader is currently trailing his former ally-turned-challenger Péter Magyar, who has capitalized on voter frustration over record inflation, economic malaise and a string of political scandals. With Orbán’s dominance suddenly in question, Trump’s administration and leading MAGA figures have moved to bolster the man they regard as their most dependable ideological ally in Europe.

For MAGA luminaries, Orbán isn’t merely a partner — he’s an inspiration. His hardline stance on migration, his battles against universities and “woke” cultural institutions, his hostility toward Brussels and skepticism toward Ukraine have long been held up as a governance model by American conservatives.