Former President Donald Trump met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at Mar-a-Lago, drawing a swift rebuke from President Joe Biden on the campaign trail.
In a statement about the meeting, the Trump campaign said they "met today at Mar-a-Lago to discuss a wide range of issues affecting Hungary and the United States, including the paramount importance of strong and secure borders to protect the sovereignty of each nation". The campaign also shared photos from the meeting.
Orban, who has sought to turn his country into an "illiberal state" while opposing NATO expansion and more aid to Ukraine, has come under fire for his efforts to undermine democracy in Hungary by weakening the judiciary and stifling the independent media. He also established close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Biden sharply criticized Trump's meeting with Orban during a speech at a campaign reception in Pennsylvania, where he emphasized his message that the November election is about freedom and democracy.
"Do you know who he's meeting with today and -- down at Mar-a-Lago? Orbán from Hungary, who has categorically stated that he doesn't think democracy works," Biden said.
"I see a future where we protect democracy, not diminish it," he added.
Orban posted videos on his Instagram account of himself appearing with Trump and former first lady Melania Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
Orban visited the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, at an event that was closed to the press. In a post on X after his appearance there, he wrote: "We support families, fight illegal migration and defend the sovereignty of our nations. This is the common ground for cooperation between the conservative forces of Europe and the US."
Orban "is exactly the type of leader that Trump has an affinity for," Karen Donfried, who was assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs in the Biden administration and is now a senior fellow at the Center for Science and Belfer International Relations at Harvard University.
She noted that it is highly unusual for a visiting head of state to travel to the United States and meet with a political opponent of the president without also meeting senior White House officials.
In the event of a Trump victory in November, Donfried said Orbán wanted to "strengthen the relationship, which is already quite good."
Last month, Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social a clip of Orbán praising him during his State of the Nation address and detailing his desire for Trump to return to the White House. In 2022, Trump endorsed Orbán months before he was up for a fourth term. /BGNES
