Hungary's populist Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, tweeted a message of support for former President Donald Trump on Monday, urging him to "keep on fighting" as he faces a criminal indictment over alleged hush money payments during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Orban's post featured a photograph of the two men smiling and shaking hands during a meeting at Trump's Bedminster, N.J., estate last August.
At the time, the Hungarian leader had traveled to the United States to speak at the 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference in Texas.
"Keep on fighting, Mr. President! We are with you," Orban wrote in the tweet.
Trump is due in court Tuesday. The GOP's leading 2024 presidential candidate insists Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case is politically motivated.
Orban, accused by his critics of dismantling many of Hungary's democratic institutions, was the first European national leader to publicly endorse Trump's presidential candidacy in 2016.
And as Orban sought a fourth-straight term as prime minister last year, Trump praised him as a "strong leader" who "truly loves his country," and lauded his efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, The Hill reported at the time.
"He has my complete support and endorsement for re-election as Prime Minister!" Trump wrote in a statement.
Orban has cast himself as a defender of traditional values, blasting "LGBT ideology" and illegal immigration, The Hill noted. He has also argued Trump offers "the hope for peace" in Russia's war on Ukraine.
Trump also has hosted Orban at the White House during his term as president.
Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
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