Former U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his admiration for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán during a gathering at Mar-a-Lago on Friday night. Trump hailed Orbán as an exceptional leader, stating, “There’s nobody that’s better, smarter or a better leader than Viktor Orbán. He’s fantastic.”
The former president’s comments were captured in a series of videos posted on Orbán’s Instagram account. Trump further described the European leader as a noncontroversial figure, citing his decisive leadership style and the respect he commands both in Europe and globally.
Trump’s meeting with Orbán and his subsequent praise for the Hungarian leader highlight his history of aligning with global strongmen, often at the expense of traditional U.S. allies. The meeting, described as a “social meeting” with no agenda, lasted for roughly an hour and was attended by a small group of close advisers to the former president.
According to a readout from Trump’s campaign, the meeting was held to discuss a wide range of issues affecting Hungary and the United States, including the importance of strong and secure borders to protect the sovereignty of each nation.
Following the meeting, Trump and Orbán attended a tribute concert at the club, featuring The Beatles and Rolling Stones tribute bands, along with the Palm Beach Symphony. A video clip posted on social media shows Orbán presenting former first lady Melania Trump with a large bouquet of flowers during the concert.
It was confirmed by a Biden administration official that the White House did not extend an invitation to Orbán to meet with President Joe Biden, and Orbán did not request a White House meeting during his U.S. visit. Biden expressed concern about the meeting between Trump and Orbán, suggesting it was alarming.
Orbán’s far-right populism, anti-immigration rhetoric, Christian nationalism, and hostility to LGBTQ rights have made him a popular ideological model for Trump’s “Make America Great Again” followers. Orbán has previously spoken at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), and Hungary is set to host another edition of CPAC’s overseas conferences next month.
President Biden seized on the visit during remarks in Pennsylvania, a crucial battleground for the 2024 election. He criticized Trump’s meeting with Orbán, stating, “You know who he’s meeting with today, down in Mar-a-Lago? Orbán of Hungary, who stated flatly he doesn’t think democracy works – he’s looking for dictatorship.”
This article has been updated with additional details. Contributions to this report were made by CNN’s Kevin Liptak, Betsy Klein, Michael Williams, and Kaanita Iyer.