US Democrats cheer defeat of Trump ally Orban in Hungary
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Photo: Anadolu Agency
US Democrats celebrated the defeat of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Sunday, while President Donald Trump's allies and Republican peers offered a more mixed response to the loss of the leader that Trump had endorsed.
Trump had backed Orban leading up to the vote, even speaking briefly last week at a campaign rally in Hungary, when US Vice President JD Vance telephoned his boss upon taking the stage.
But Orban lost power after 16 years as Hungarians voted in record numbers for a pro-EU course spearheaded by centre-right rival Peter Magyar.
US lawmakers from both major parties congratulated Magyar on his victory.
Some Democrats framed Orban's loss as a harbinger of things to come for the November midterm elections in the United States.
"Pay attention, Donald Trump. Wannabe dictators wear out their welcome," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said.
Former US President Barack Obama also shared his hopes for Hungary's democratic win, and for it to serve as a 'reminder to all of us to keep striving for fairness, equality and the rule of law.'
The victory of the opposition in Hungary yesterday, like the Polish election in 2023, is a victory for democracy, not just in Europe but around the world. Most of all, it’s a testament to the resilience and determination of the Hungarian people – and a reminder to all of us to…
"Far-right authoritarian Viktor Orban has lost the election. Trump sycophants and MAGA extremists in Congress are up next in November," said US House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Republicans such as US Senator Roger Wicker viewed the Hungarian election result as a repudiation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom Orban had cultivated ties over the years.
Wicker, a Mississippi Republican who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the results showed that Hungary's population rejected "the malign influence of Vladimir Putin" and "decided their own future."
Trump himself did not mention the Hungarian elections on Sunday, even as he opined on topics through social media posts, a television interview and a brief gathering with reporters.
Read More: Hungary's conservative icon Orban defeated by centre-right opposition
But a few of his pro-Orban allies, such as technology tycoon Elon Musk, lamented the result.
"Soros Organisation has taken over Hungary," Musk wrote on his X social media platform.
Billionaire financier and major Democratic donor George Soros, a Hungarian immigrant to the United States, has long been vilified by many conservatives.
Orban has been at loggerheads with the European Union over a range of issues, including Russia's war in Ukraine.
His self-described "illiberal democracy" has echoed policies touted by Trump, including a hard line against immigration, hostility toward global institutions, and attacks on the media and universities.
Orban was the first European leader to endorse Trump during his 2016 presidential bid.
Trump said last week his administration stood ready "to use the full economic might of the United States to strengthen Hungary's economy" if Orban won.