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Trump tells ABC News reporter he was not concerned about Orban's loss in Hungary

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on April 15, 2026

2 min read

· Last updated: April 15, 2026

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Trump tells ABC News reporter he was not concerned about Orban's loss in Hungary
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April 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump told ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl on Tuesday he was not concerned about Viktor Orban's loss in Hungary, and that he likes incoming Prime Minister

Trump Says Not Concerned About Orban's Loss, Backs New Hungary PM Magyar

Trump Comments on Hungarian Election and Leadership Change

Trump's Reaction to Orban's Loss

April 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump told ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl on Tuesday he was not concerned about Viktor Orban's loss in Hungary, and that he likes incoming Prime Minister Peter Magyar.

Support for Peter Magyar

"I think the new man's going to do a good job — he's a good man," Trump told the reporter.

Trump's Involvement in the Hungarian Election

Trump told the reporter he did not know if it would have made a difference if he had gone to Hungary instead of Vice President JD Vance to campaign for Orban.

"He was behind substantially," Trump said. "I wasn’t that involved in this one. Viktor’s a good man, though."

Previous Support for Orban

Trump had backed Orban leading up to the vote, even speaking briefly last week at a campaign rally in Hungary, when Vance telephoned his boss upon taking the stage.

Hungarian Election Results

End of Orban's 16-Year Rule

But Orban lost power after 16 years as Hungarians voted in record numbers for ​a pro-EU course spearheaded by center-right rival Peter Magyar.

Reporting Credits

(Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Christopher Cushing)

Key Takeaways

  • Trump downplayed his involvement in the Hungarian campaign, saying he didn’t know if his presence instead of VP Vance would have changed the result.
  • Péter Magyar, a former Orbán ally turned pro‑European reformer, won a landslide victory that ended Orban’s 16‑year rule and gave his Tisza Party a two‑thirds parliamentary supermajority, enabling constitutional change.
  • Hungary’s election was marked by record turnout (~80%), widespread optimism among youth and EU leaders, and signals of a pivot away from Orbán’s authoritarian and pro‑Russian posture.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Trump say about Viktor Orban's loss in Hungary?
Trump told ABC News he was not concerned about Orban's election loss and expressed support for incoming Prime Minister Peter Magyar.
Who is Peter Magyar?
Peter Magyar is the center-right rival who won the Hungarian election and will become the new Prime Minister after Orban's defeat.
Did Trump campaign for Viktor Orban in Hungary?
Trump was not directly involved in campaigning in Hungary, but he did support Orban and even spoke briefly at a campaign rally by phone.
How long was Viktor Orban in power?
Viktor Orban led Hungary for 16 years before his election loss to Peter Magyar.

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