President Donald Trump has decided to review all aid going overseas, with many expecting massive cuts to be in the works, as the new administration reprioritizes interests back home and has called to put an end to foreign meddling.
Not surprisingly, recipients of generous American support over the years have had their feathers ruffled. Balázs Orbán, Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán’s political director (not a family relation), took to X to call out the angst, asking if what the left calls “independent” is really so.
“One of the largest Hungarian opposition media outlets is upset by Trump’s executive order halting U.S. foreign aid for 90 days, as Hungary’s ‘independent’ press stands to lose millions of forints in funding. Makes you wonder how independent one can be when relying on another government’s funding…”
In the photo posted by Orbán’s, we see former Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman with his arm around Samantha Power, former administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from 2021 to 2025 and the United State’s UN ambassador before that.
USAID is largely criticized for its on-the-ground interference around the world, “promoting democracy” and policies not always welcome in countries, such as LGBTQ, gender ideology, and abortion. USAID is seen by many as the arm of the U.S. government used to “soften up” a country to sweep in a new government “more cooperative” with American interests, also known as Color Revolutions.
Back in 2023, head of the New York Young Republicans Club, Gavin Wax, told Magyar Nemzet that such color revolutions in “non-ally” countries have been taking place for years under the CIA, “but now (the United States) is meddling in the internal affairs of a country that is a NATO ally of the United States. This is completely wrong. They do not act as diplomats, but ideologically, as activists, because Hungary is not considered an ally in an ideological sense.”
Wax had initiated a cooperation agreement between NY Young Republicans and Budapest’s Center for Fundamental Rights at the time and had spoken previously at CPAC Hungary. He has notably reposted Orbán’s spot-on comment.
X chief and Trump advisor Elon Musk also joined in, reposting Orbán’s comment as well and stating: “The US radical-left has been using US taxpayer money to fund radical-left political parties & media around the world!”
German Green MEP, Daniel Freund, who has made his career out of demonizing Orbán and the Hungarian government, joined in, reposting Musk’s post with the comment: “Every single word in this tweet is a lie.”
But is it?
It is a well-known fact that Hungarian opposition media has been lavished with U.S. funding. Furthermore, Hungarian opposition parties have also received ample U.S. funding in the past.
Freund, by the way, was busy last year ahead of the U.S. elections meeting with DC power players, including USAID, seemingly to better angle and align his future plays in the event of a Harris win. He is, however, perhaps most famous for calling for Orbán to be arrested. It is unclear what drives his obsession with the Hungarian prime minister.
Back to Balázs Orbán’s original post. The report he most likely is referring to was out of HVG, which ran a piece on Trump’s decision. “Ökotárs and Mérték Média Műhely did indeed notify this year’s winners of the Free Media Contest by email on Monday morning that since Donald Trump has suspended foreign funding for 90 days, this will also affect Hungarian independent media. During this time, no contracts can be concluded and no payments can be made,” the site reads.
The portal states that the move impacts HUF 173 million ($440,000) and “dozens of beneficiaries” who purportedly were to be given money for “strengthening and improving the sustainability of local and national independent public media” and for “media awareness and education and journalism training programs.”
HVG also lists some of the outlets and groups that will see their funding cut. These include 444.hu, set to lose HUF 8 million, Klubrádió and Magyar Hang set to lose more than HUF 10 million each, and Transparency International Hungary, which could lose more than €7 million.
Many Americans on both sides of the aisle, and especially Trump-voting Republicans, rightfully do not see their tax dollars being well spent on never-ending wars, whether that is on the battlefield or in the press by means of funded propaganda.
Bryan Leib, a PR professional and Hungarian ambassador hopeful, has been vocal on the failed foreign policy waged against the Orbán government under Biden and his appointed ambassador, David Pressman. He took to X to express what many Americans are asking about the massive aid the U.S. continuously sends abroad:
“Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous? “Funding left wing media operations in countries all around the world doesn’t check any of these boxes so it’s time to cut them all off!”
Back in early 2023, Power visited Budapest to commit $20 million “to bolster civil society, to help independent media thrive and reach new audiences, and to support community-led initiatives that can empower local groups trying to make change.”
Power ends her video by saying, “We are looking forward to working with the Hungarian people in building the future they want.”
The future who wants?
Many have come to see such “initiatives” as nothing other than special interest groups inside the U.S. government spending citizens’ tax dollars on “change” they and they alone see as necessary and that often serve only to continue an American hegemonic presence neither American voters nor those on the ground benefit from.