Inside Viktor Orbán's not-so-secret mission to elect Trump

During a reside this summertime successful beforehand of thousands of supporters, Hungary's far-right premier minister, Viktor Orbán, elaborate nan adjacent connections he has nurtured pinch erstwhile President Donald Trump.

"We person entered nan policy-writing strategy of President Donald Trump's team," Orbán said. "We person heavy engagement there." 

The erstwhile president speaks highly of nan Hungarian leader, too. During his statement pinch Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump described Orbán arsenic 1 of nan world's "most respected men" — a "strong man" and "a reliable person."

Beneath nan adjacent nationalist narration betwixt nan 2 leaders are what sources person described arsenic predominant and elaborate exchanges that delve profoundly into governmental and governing strategy. Should Trump triumph nan predetermination adjacent week, theirs could go a defining overseas argumentation narration for a 2nd Trump term.

"Orbán put each his cards connected Trump's victory," 1 root adjacent to nan Hungarian authorities told CBS News – a reality Orban is not awkward astir broadcasting. 

"Just sewage disconnected nan telephone pinch President @realDonald Trump," Orban posted connected X connected Thursday. "I wished him nan champion of luck for adjacent Tuesday. Only 5 days to go. Fingers crossed."

While those adjacent to Orbán and nan Trump run person declined to specify nan precise quality of nan backstage connection betwixt nan two, sources adjacent to nan Hungarian authorities picture nan usage of Hungarian government-funded deliberation tanks arsenic conduits utilized to speech accusation pinch blimpish U.S. deliberation tanks connected topics for illustration Ukraine, family argumentation and winning elections.

"As left-wing parties person been helping each different for nan past 100 years, pinch policies and besides sometimes pinch run tactics, it is rather imaginable that conservatives from crossed nan globe from India to Europe to America could thief each different pinch immoderate of nan champion practices successful campaigns arsenic well," Istvan Kiss, of Danube Institute, a pro-government deliberation vessel successful Budapest told CBS News.

A attraction connected "how to win"

In his 14 years successful power, Orbán's authorities has passed authorities that targeted asylum seekers, non-governmental organizations, LGBTQ+ individuals, and nan independent press. The ruling party, Fidesz, passed a law that transferred power of Hungary's main authorities universities to foundations tally by Orbán's allies. And Orbán has go known for xenophobic and racist statements, calling refugees "Muslim invaders" and saying Hungarians do not want to go a "mixed race."

Orbán's management has urged nan Trump run to floor plan an isolationist way connected nan Ukraine conflict, pinch deliberation tanks playing a pivotal domiciled successful delivering that message. Communication flows openly betwixt Hungarian and blimpish deliberation tanks successful nan U.S. and past is funneled to members of Trump's run staff, according to aggregate sources adjacent to nan Hungarian government, each of whom said connected nan information they stay unnamed retired of fearfulness of reprisal.

A  polling patient called KÓD Piackutató Intézet, which is linked to nan pro-Orbán think-tank Századvég Foundation shares accusation pinch friends of nan Trump run that focuses connected "how to triumph elections," according to a root adjacent to nan deliberation tank. 

Századvég Foundation was founded successful 1993 to behaviour governmental research. It's known for moving pinch American governmental GOP consultants, including nan precocious Arthur J. Finkelstein, who besides worked connected campaigns for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ronald Reagan. Századvég relies connected a trademark formula: "creating an enemy." 

The Századvég Foundation is 1 of a fistful of Hungarian deliberation tanks that usage Hungarian payer costs to initiate pro-government objectives, which see pushing for person relationships pinch overseas governments.

One of nan closest bonds is betwixt nan pro-Orbán Danube Institute and nan Washington, D.C.-based Heritage Foundation, a blimpish deliberation vessel precocious known for its role successful a imaginable Trump modulation scheme known arsenic Project 2025. 

Dr. Kevin Roberts, president of nan Heritage Foundation, described Orban's activity arsenic a "model for blimpish governance" during a property briefing earlier this year. Former president Trump has denied immoderate engagement successful Project 2025. Members of nan 2 deliberation tanks person held in-person meetings each 3 months, some successful Washington, D.C., and Budapest, wherever experts talk issues specified arsenic nan Ukraine war and immigration, according to sources adjacent to some institutions.

In 2023, nan Danube Institute besides agreed to big visiting researchers from The Heritage Foundation to study Hungarian policies successful various fields. Heritage and Danube signed an statement successful 2023 that progressive nary financial transactions by either party, CBS has learned. Through practice pinch right-wing intellectuals abroad, nan Danube Institute has proved instrumental successful promoting nan culturally blimpish imagination of Orbán's Hungary.

"I americium proud to telephone Viktor Orbán a friend and ally, and I americium proud of nan beardown narration betwixt Heritage and The Danube Institute," Kevin Roberts,  President of The Heritage Foundation told CBS News.

"Hungary is an illustration for each of Europe successful really it promotes family values and nationalist sovereignty, arsenic good arsenic for its implementing an migration argumentation that puts nan liking of nan communal man first," Roberts said. "While Heritage does not return a cent from overseas governments aliases institutions, we are moving alongside conservatives astir nan world to extremity nan globalist era."

These cross-border initiatives look to beryllium portion of a overseas argumentation strategy for Orbán. A caller investigation by nan independent Hungarian news outlet Atlatszo revealed that authorities backing has enabled nan Danube Institute to salary much than $1.64 cardinal to its overseas partners complete nan past 3 years. Danube's payments to visiting scholars, writers, and speakers, predominantly from nan U.S., person risen during that time. 

Cooperation betwixt nan Heritage Foundation and Hungarian authorities proxies for illustration nan Danube Institute, became much progressive aft nan 2020 elections, according to Atlatszo's investigation.

The Danube Institute, for instance, paid a visiting teacher from nan Texas Public Policy Foundation $8,400 to constitute a 10-page insubstantial "on Hungarian migration argumentation and lessons learned for nan authorities of Texas," according to a 2024 statement described by nan Hungarian news outlet. 

That Texas nationalist argumentation author, Melissa Ford Maldonado, antecedently worked for nan Trump White House arsenic a chap astatine nan Office of American Innovation and past astatine nan Domestic Policy Council. Maldonado did not respond to CBS News's petition for comment. 

"The Orbán authorities has intelligibly invested a batch done a variety of means trying to style U.S. nationalist opinion," said 1 elder U.S. charismatic who intimately tracks those communications.

Hungary has not hired agents successful Washington to lobby for its interests – it is 1 of nan fewer nations without a azygous progressive patient aliases individual registered pinch nan U.S. Justice Department, a request for each overseas authorities lobbyists.

Security concerns

Think tanks are not nan only transmission for connection betwixt nan Hungarian authorities and nan U.S. 

"Viktor Orbán and a fewer higher-ranking group astir him often speech matter messages pinch high-level Republican politicians," a root adjacent to nan Hungarian Embassy successful Washington, D.C., said, suggesting that Orbán wants to support a adjacent oculus connected U.S.-Hungary relations. "Which tin raise information concerns." 

One of these Republicans is Trump's moving mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio. Vance met pinch Hungarian officials successful Washington D.C, and he is 1 of nan astir vocal U.S. senators successful support of Orbán.

"I deliberation Orbán made smart decisions that we could study from successful nan U.S.," said Vance successful an question and reply pinch CBS' "Face nan Nation pinch Margaret Brennan" successful June 2024.  

Vance was invited to Budapest successful nan autumn by individuals adjacent to nan Hungarian government, CBS News has learned. He canceled nan travel but immoderate successful his statement person paid predominant visits to Hungary during nan past twelvemonth and reciprocated nan invitation to Washington to their Hungarian counterparts. 

In February, Vance attended a closed-door arena astatine nan Hungarian Embassy successful Washington, D.C., astir Christian values and Hungary's pro-family policies, a root adjacent to nan Hungarian Embassy told CBS News. The root said governmental head Balazs Orbán (no narration to Viktor Orbán) is often successful touch pinch Trump's moving mate.

Multiple sources successful Washington called Balazs Orbán "a cardinal fig successful building relationships" betwixt Hungary and Trump's team. "He plays a very progressive domiciled successful this," 1 root said. 

The erstwhile president's son, Donald Trump Jr., visited Budapest successful June, to springiness a reside astatine Mathias Corvinus Collegium. His sojourn focused on nan early of Hungarian-American relations, nan warfare successful Ukraine and opportunities to forge peace. A root adjacent to nan Hungarian embassy said Trump Jr.'s invitation served nan aforesaid intent arsenic Vance's: "building a web of group Orbán tin interaction directly" successful lawsuit Trump wins nan presidency.

Balazs Orbán met Vance successful April 2023 successful Washington, D.C. He called Vance a "good friend of Hungary" and thanked him for opinionated up for their shared values successful a post connected X.

Vance has antecedently praised Viktor Orbán, saying nan U.S. "could study from" immoderate decisions made by nan Hungarian leader, peculiarly erstwhile it comes to "eliminating left-wing bias" successful acquisition institutions. 

The progressive accusation speech has travel astatine a vulnerable infinitesimal for U.S.-Hungary relations. Last month, 5 Republican U.S. senators returned from a travel to Hungary pinch a blunt declaration – that Orbán's authorities had displayed a noticeable displacement toward Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

"Our delegation and galore of our legislature colleagues are progressively concerned by Hungary's deepening and expanding narration pinch Russia and nan continued erosion of its antiauthoritarian institutions," U.S. Sen Jerry Moran, a Republican from Kansas, said successful a connection released by senators aft nan visit.

The Senate delegation was led by Moran and besides included Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, John Cornyn of Texas, John Boozman of Arkansas, and John Hoeven of North Dakota.

"We person Hungary arsenic an state of nan U.S., and we are profoundly concerned pinch nan grade of antiauthoritarian backsliding successful Hungary arsenic good arsenic Hungary's choices of deepening ties pinch Putin's Russia and Xi's China," 1 elder U.S. diplomat told CBS News. "That's wherever our attraction is."

Orbán is wide seen arsenic Putin's closest state successful nan EU — he often repeats pro-Kremlin talking points astir nan Ukraine war. And he has vetoed aggregate EU decisions to support Ukraine since Russia's full-scale penetration started. 

Orbán's narration pinch Trump has only strengthened since nan erstwhile president near agency successful 2021. The 2 met successful July astatine Mar-a-Lago during Orbán's "peace mission" correct aft visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Péter Krekó, nan head of nan Budapest-based Political Capital investigation institute called nan timing of nan Mar-a-Lago meeting, connected nan heels of nan Putin visit, "symbolic," noting that they some offered akin "pro-peace" connection astir nan conflict successful Ukraine.

"The occurrence of Hungarian soft powerfulness has been biggest successful nan United States," said Kreko, whose deliberation vessel is not government-sponsored. "Classic soft powerfulness devices made it possible: individual connections, investments successful media ties, and diplomacy [between deliberation tanks] — each pinch a batch of money." 

The Trump campaign, Sen. Vance, and Prime Minister Orbán's governmental director, Balazs Orbán, did not respond for comment. 

Századvég Foundation, KÓD Piackutató Intézet, and nan Danube Institute did not respond to a petition for remark from CBS News. 

In:
• Donald Trump
• Viktor Orban