Trump praises Hungary's 'Viktor Orbán' as great 'leader of Turkey' – POLITICO Europe
In-depth reporting, data and actionable intelligence for policy professionals – all in one place.
Former US president confuses his illiberal leaders.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to confuse the leaders of Turkey and Hungary in a campaign speech in New Hampshire on Monday.
“There’s a man, Viktor Orbán, did anyone ever hear of him?” Trump said, referring to the Hungarian prime minister.
“He’s probably, like, one of the strongest leaders anywhere in the world. He’s the leader of Turkey,” the former president said. Turkey’s president is Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Trump added that Orbán has a “front” with Russia. Neither Turkey nor Hungary has a border with Russia.
Trump has previously praised Orbán, who opposes migration and LGBTQ rights, and refers to his governing style as an “illiberal democracy.” Trump hosted him at the White House in 2019.
In turn, Orbán was the first European leader to endorse Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, and urged him to “keep fighting” after the former president was hit with a criminal indictment.
“Come back, Mr President. Make America great again and bring us peace,” Orbán told a meeting of the U.S. Conservative Political Action Coalition earlier this year.
Log in to access content and manage your profile. If you do not have an account you can register here.
Forgot your password?
By logging in, you confirm acceptance of our POLITICO Privacy Policy.