Donald Trump has now been in office for 100 days—an important milestone in any presidency. As a close ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Hungary had high expectations of the Trump administration. But what has actually materialized? In this article, we take a closer look at the first 100 days of Trump’s second term through the lens of Hungary.
After Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday, articles and social media posts about Donald Trump wearing a blue suit flooded the internet, accusing the US president of intentionally breaching protocol and disrespecting the late pope by not wearing black. The wave of outrage was triggered by Fortune, which deliberately misled the audience with a manipulated cover photo and a suspicious headline.
Antal Rogán, Chief of Staff to the Hungarian Prime Minister, has been removed from the US sanctions list, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced. The senior government official had been placed under Magnitsky sanctions in January—a move widely regarded as the revenge of former US Ambassador David Pressman.
Governor Josh Shapiro’s gubernatorial mansion was burned down on Sunday, 13 April in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as the Jewish statesman was celebrating passover with his friends and family. Suspect Cody Balmer has been arrested and charged in connection with the incident, an out-of-work welder with serious financial problems.
‘Thanks to the strong relationship between President Trump and Prime Minister Orbán, there is real space—on the ground, in government, in business, and among ordinary citizens—to build something meaningful,’ US Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Robert Palladino remarked during a discussion on US–Hungary relations with President of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs Gladden Pappin.
The 2024 election marked the fourth consecutive US presidential election where the popular vote margin was within five points—an unprecedented occurrence in US history. The last candidate to win the popular vote by more than 10 points was Republican Ronald Reagan in 1984. Why are US presidential elections so close in the 21st century?
On his way to Thursday’s EU summit, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated in an interview that the European Union lacks the strength to impose its vision on the war in Ukraine. ‘The EU is isolated,’ he added, emphasizing that Brussels stands alone on the global stage with its pro-war stance.
Alan J Kuperman, in a rare opinion piece published by The Hill, breaks with the Western narrative on the causes of the war in Ukraine, acknowledging that Donald Trump is right about most of the factors behind the conflict. This ultimately means Hungary was right as well, as the Hungarian government’s position on the war closely aligns with that of the US president.
‘On the day the US temporarily halted military aid to Ukraine, Kellogg delivered a speech at CFR in Washington, DC. He emphasized that Ukraine had several opportunities to sign the US–Ukraine $500 billion Minerals Deal, including during his visit to Kyiv on 19 February and during Zelenskyy’s last trip to Washington, which is unlikely to be remembered as a successful diplomatic effort.’
‘There is a historic chance for US–Hungary relations to peak, and it depends in no small part on the two leading players. Even though Hungary is a member of the EU and NATO, in the last two decades, American Democratic administrations have been explicitly hostile towards it…With the US president behind him, Orbán could be much more effective in strengthening his conservative agenda in Brussels, which until now has been an uphill struggle.’