U.S. Vice President JD Vance is in Hungary to promote incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orban as he runs for re-election. With critical elections imminent in both countries, Vance used the opportunity to publicly accuse U.S. ally Ukraine of meddling in Hungarian and American elections.
As seen below, standing side by side with Orban at a press conference, Vance said, “We are certainly aware there are elements within the Ukrainian intelligence services that try to put their thumb on the scale on American elections, on Hungarian elections.” He threw his arms up and added, “This is just what they do.”
[NOTE: Most international observers believe Russia is more deeply involved in influencing elections in Hungary, with The New York Times reporting that “the collaboration between Moscow and Mr. Orban’s government to influence the election has been mostly open.”]
Likely a statement drafted in the Kremlin, JD Vance says almighty “Ukrainian intelligence” is rigging elections in both the US and Hungary. pic.twitter.com/XFK1fm6ppE
— Jay in Kyiv (@JayinKyiv) April 7, 2026
Pro-Ukrainian political commentators, including X influencer “Jay in Kyiv” responded: “Likely a statement drafted in the Kremlin, JD Vance says almighty ‘Ukrainian intelligence’ is rigging elections in both the US and Hungary.”
American journalist Nancy Levine Stearns also replied: “JD Vance is spending US taxpayers’ dollars to tee up BS about election rigging in advance of US midterms.”
Others are responding by recirculating headlines from 2024 when Vance admitted that he’s willing to “create stories” in order to gain media attention, as he — and President Trump — did about Haitian immigrants in Ohio eating cats and dogs, a story that was debunked by Republican Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.
— TikiChic (@TikiChic2932) April 7, 2026
The Atlantic‘s Anne Applebaum, writing about Vance’s visit, took a wider view of the linking of Orban and the Trump administration, as Trump has offered his “complete and total endorsement” of Orban, aligning Trump with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, who has offered Orban similar support.
Reposting an article about how Orban’s Hungary is “one of the poorest countries, and certainly the most corrupt and least free country, in the EU,” Applebaum asked: “Vance wants this for America?”