What Péter Magyar Has Said About Donald Trump

Hungary’s main opposition leader, Péter Magyar, successfully unseated the country’s longtime prime minister, Viktor Orbán, in a landslide election victory on Sunday.

U.S. President Donald Trump and his most senior officials publicly endorsed Orbán, even appearing at his campaign rallies, and it remains to be seen how Magyar’s victory will reshape relations between Washington and Budapest.

Trump, who previously described Orbán as a “true friend,” has not publicly commented on his European ally’s electoral defeat.

The U.S. president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., had described Orbán as the only European leader with a “direct line to the White House” hours before Hungarians went to the polls, with a record number of voters turning out to cast their ballot.

As Magyar’s Tisza Party prepares to take over, Hungary’s access to Trump could change.

What Has Hungary’s New Leader Said About Trump?

Magyar has made few specific remarks about Trump, but he has directed praise at the U.S. president in swipes at Orbán, who first served as prime minister from 1998 to 2002 before returning to the role in 2010.

Trump “has never been afraid to stand up for open, straightforward debates with his political opponents,” Magyar wrote in a social media post on November 7, 2025. Orbán, Magyar said, “hasn’t dared to do this for 20 years.”

Magyar said Trump did not represent “foreign interests” in the U.S., and that his administration’s decisions had benefited American companies.

He also referenced Trump’s push to secure a ceasefire deal for Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.

Trump “really wants to force [Russian President] Vladimir Putin to make peace,” Magyar said.

The U.S.’s efforts to reach a deal between Moscow and Kyiv have so far been unsuccessful, despite several rounds of negotiations since the second Trump administration took office in January 2025. Both countries agreed to a brief ceasefire to mark the Orthodox Easter holiday over the weekend but traded accusations of violating the short-lived truce.

Officials in Kyiv and Europe have worried that the U.S.-backed talks could end up producing a peace deal that puts Ukraine on the back foot and rewards Russia. Trump has refused to overtly criticize Putin while often heaping scorn on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has tried to keep the U.S. onside while saying Kyiv feels pressured by Washington to make concessions to Moscow.

During his last 16 years in power, Orbán has kept a close relationship with Putin, while other European countries cut off most communication with the Kremlin shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine more than four years ago.

Orbán has angered other members of the European Union by blocking funds to Ukraine, including vetoing a 90 billion euro ($105 billion) loan to Kyiv last month.

“You can love him or hate him, but Trump is a born leader,” Magyar wrote.

What Are Péter Magyar’s Views?

Magyar, a former member of Orbán’s far-right Fidesz Party, split off to lead the Tisza Party in 2024.

The party, typically described as center-right, has catapulted to popularity. Its election campaign focused on an anti-corruption drive, improving the economy and leaning back toward the European Union.

Several European leaders celebrated Tisza’s victory as the results were counted. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on social media: “Hungary, Poland, Europe Back together! Glorious victory, dear friends!” He added, “Ruszkik haza,” which translates to “Russians, go home.”

The European Union and observers have heavily criticized Fidesz, accusing the party of attacking democratic institutions and keeping Hungary firmly in Russia’s orbit.

Orbán himself has described the country under his government as an “illiberal democracy,” a term that has become shorthand for a democratic state with fragile liberal principles, including weakened independent media and courts. Orbán’s model has long been a blueprint for Trump’s own Make America Great Again agenda.

Magyar stunned the country when he appeared on a pro-opposition outlet in February 2024, deeply criticizing Fidesz after being in its top ranks for years.

At the time, Katalin Novák had just resigned as president after it emerged she had granted a pardon for a man convicted of covering up a child sex abuse case involving a state-run children’s home.

Magyar’s ex-wife, Judit Varga, also submitted her resignation. Varga, a former justice minister, had approved the pardon.

Is Péter Magyar Liberal?

Fidesz, like other European far-right political movements, has adopted a firmly anti-immigrant stance. Orbán has painted himself as a Christian bastion against progressive values and “wokeness,” standing against LGBTQ+ rights.

Magyar, while still on the right of the political spectrum, has veered away from the so-called culture wars.

Tisza’s manifesto, numbering more than 240 pages, details instead its pledges to increase state salaries for some sectors, lower taxes for minimum wage earners and surge family allowances.

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This story was originally published April 13, 2026 at 2:50 AM.