Former US President Donald Trump praised Viktor Orban as a “fantastic leader” while poking fun at criticism of the Hungarian PM‘s self-proclaimed illiberal tendencies as the two populist leaders met Friday at Mar-a-Lago. Orban “is a non-controversial figure because he says, ‘this is the way it’s going to be,’ and that’s the end of it,” Trump joked to a room full of attendees at his Florida resort.
Trump feted Orban with a tour of his residence, dinner with former first Lady Melania Trump, an hour-long meeting with senior aides, and musical performance by a band covering Roy Orbison.
Biden slammed the planned get-together at a political rally in Philadelphia earlier Friday, saying Orban “doesn’t think democracy works.” Orban has in the past urged the West to cut off financing for Ukraine, which he has said is the quickest way to force Kyiv to negotiate a truce.