Trump praises Hungary PM Viktor Orbán after Vance calls him at Budapest rally

President Donald Trump on Tuesday heaped praise on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán after Vice President JD Vance called his boss from the stage of a political rally at a soccer stadium in Budapest."I love that Viktor, I'll tell you, he's a fantastic man, we've had a tremendous relationship," Trump said as Vance held his phone's speaker up to a microphone on the stage.The efforts by Trump and Vance, who traveled to Hungary for the first time as a public official to boost Orbán's candidacy, came as polls show the incumbent leader is set to lose his upcoming election.Orbán, a conservative nationalist whose closeness with Russian President Vladimir Putin throughout the war in Ukraine has made him an outlier among European leaders, has long been a favorite of Trump."Remember this, he didn't allow people to storm your country and invade your country, like other people have, and ruin their countries," Trump told the Hungarian crowd via speakerphone. "He's kept your country good. He's kept Hungarian people in your country, and he's done a fantastic job."Trump, who has clamped down on immigration in the U.S., was apparently contrasting Hungary's strict immigration rules with those of its European neighbors.Orbán and his Fidesz party have held power since 2010. But the latest polls show the pro-European opposition party Tisza, led by Peter Magyar, with an advantage ahead of the next parliamentary elections, set for April 12.Vance initially struggled to get Trump on the phone line from stage, where he spoke after Orbán.The first time he called, he got an automated voice saying, "I'm sorry, the person you are trying to reach has a voicemail box that has not been set up yet.""OK, try one more time," Vance said. "Good signal here," he added as he looked at his phone. "It's ringing. Progress," he said before Trump picked up.Vance said he was not there to tell Hungarians how to vote, but later told them to "go to the polls" and "stand with Viktor Orbán, because he stands for you."The U.S. leaders' push to rally support for Orbán came as Trump is simultaneously threatening Iran with the destruction of its "whole civilization" unless a deal is struck by a deadline of 8 p.m. ET Tuesday.Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you.Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inboxGet this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services.© 2026 Versant Media, LLC.

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