When Donald Trump became president, Europe’s fiercest anti-immigration leader saw an opportunity to garner international legitimacy for his policies.
But for more than two years, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán — the only European Union government head to endorse Trump’s campaign in 2016 — failed to get an invitation to visit the White House, despite Trump hosting numerous European leaders. With no White House visit coming, the Hungarian government lobbied its case to lawmakers, the State Department and the White House. And changes in leadership at the State Department started opening some doors for the Hungarian government.
Finally, on Monday, Trump hosted Orbán in the White House, the first time a Hungarian prime minister has visited the White House since 2005.