In runup to polls, Trump endorses reelection bid of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban

WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump on Thursday underlined his endorsement of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for reelection ahead of the country's April 12 polls, praising him as a "strong and powerful" leader.

"I was proud to endorse Viktor for Re-Election in 2022, and am honored to do so again," Trump said on Truth Social, his social media platform.

Trump credited Orban with strengthening relations between Hungary and the US, saying bilateral cooperation has “reached new heights of cooperation and spectacular achievement under my Administration, thanks largely to Prime Minister Orbán."

The president said he looks forward to continuing to work closely with Orban.

Endorsing a candidate in a foreign election was once seen as crossing a line in US politics, but it is another norm that Trump has upended.

Orban has long been a favorite of Trump and the Republican Party, who have invited him to conservative political gatherings and vowed to emulate his style of governance.