Returning to Hungary, Donald Trump’s EU ambassador told AFP that neither the former president nor his vice-president were “meddling” in Hungary’s election, despite publicly endorsing nationalist incumbent Viktor Orbán.
Speaking shortly after JD Vance visited Budapest to campaign alongside Orbán, US envoy Andrew Puzder emphasised that both Trump and his running mate have “been very vocal” in their support for the Hungarian prime minister.
“I do not believe that the vice-president or the president engaged in meddling in the Hungarian election,” Puzder said, adding about Vance: “He appears to have been careful not to coerce, make economic threats, or take any actions that could be considered coercive.”
Hungary’s EU-aligned leader with close ties to both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orbán, faces an unprecedented challenge to his 16-year rule in Sunday’s vote.
His conservative rival, Peter Magyar — leading in the polls with three days remaining — cautioned ahead of Vance’s visit against any foreign attempts to influence the election. He also rejected claims portraying him as Brussels’ candidate.
“No foreign country may interfere in Hungarian elections,” Magyar wrote on X Tuesday. “Hungarian history is not written in Washington, Moscow, or Brussels.”
via The Guardian
