As Trump refuses to comment on Viktor Orban's failure, Democrats warn: 'Dictators of opportunity eventually lose support'
After Viktor Orbán's defeat in Hungary's election, Donald Trump avoided commenting on the situation, while US Democratic leaders used the election result as a political warning aimed directly at the Washington leader and his supporters.
Viktor Orban's failure, warning for Donald Trump. PHOTO: AFP
The decisive defeat of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the elections that took place on Sunday, April 12, in Hungary, quickly transcended the European political framework and was integrated into the American political discourse, becoming a symbolic landmark in the dispute between the Democrats and the Republicans.
While Donald Trump chose not to comment on the situation at all, pretending not to hear journalists' questions on the subject, Democrats used the Hungarian election result as a warning and an electoral argument in the perspective of future political confrontations to take place in the United States in November, reports Time.
Donald Trump pretended not to hear the questions about Viktor Orban
After Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, one of his closest international allies, lost power in the recent Hungarian elections, US President Donald Trump chose to remain surprisingly silent on the matter.
Both in direct interactions with journalists and on social networks, the White House leader avoided any remarks related to the regime change in Budapest.
Approached directly by the press after the announcement of the Hungarian election results, Donald Trump refused to comment on the failure of Viktor Orbán, as if he had not heard the questions. Ignoring the reporters' insistence, he said a “Thank you very much!”, a sign that he had ended all communication, then headed for his plane.
Neither in the hours that followed, the leader from the White House nor other representatives of his administration issued any official point of view regarding the loss of the elections by the Fidesz leader.
On his Truth Social account, the platform he frequently uses to express his political opinions, Donald Trump completely ignored the situation in Hungary, but continued to post extensively about other topics on his agenda. The American leader addressed the tense situation in Iran, referring to an announced blockade, but also discussed more mundane projects, such as the White House renovations.
“Watch out, Donald Trump!”
Donald Trump's silence in the face of Viktor Orbán's defeat seems to be the result of yet another image blow for the American president, given the political affinity and mutual praise that the two leaders have consistently paid publicly over time.
Moreover, Donald Trump had supported Viktor Orbán during his election campaign, sending him to Hungary, on the last hundred meters, just before the vote, the US Vice President, JD Vance, who called the Republican leader from the stage, so that he could address a few words live.
American politicians from both major parties congratulated Peter Magyar on his landslide election victory, but while Democrats celebrated the defeat of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, allies of President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans had more subdued reactions.
Former President Barack Obama described the outcome as just
“a victory for democracy, not only in Europe, but in the whole world”, and some Democrats presented Orbán's defeat as a signal of what is to come in November's midterm elections in the United States.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer interpreted the landslide victory as a warning to Trump ahead of the US midterm elections.
“Watch out, Donald Trump. Dictators of opportunity eventually lose support,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“Far-right authoritarian Viktor Orbán has lost the election. Trump minions and MAGA extremists in Congress are next in November”, said the leader of the minority in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries.
