Rubio visits Budapest and endorses Orban ahead of Hungary elections

Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to Budapest on February 16 and publicly endorsed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's bid for a fifth consecutive term ahead of April 2026 elections. At a joint press conference, Rubio declared "President Trump is deeply committed to your success" and pledged U.S. financial assistance if Hungary faced economic instability. The two countries also signed a civilian nuclear cooperation pact. EU and NATO partners criticized the endorsement as an unprecedented intervention in an allied nation's democratic election.