Hungary’s Orbán Praises Trump’s Crackdown On USAID (Worthy News In-Depth)
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Hungary’s right-wing prime minister, whose government took over numerous media and closed down critical outlets, has praised Donald J. Trump for winding down the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as it allegedly “funded” left-wing media.
Viktor Orbán wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that “apparently USAID financed ultra-progressive [political news outlet] Politico in Brussels and basically the entire left-wing media in Hungary under the previous US administration. And they called me ‘disruptor of the year’…”
Orbán added, “I think the world owes a debt of gratitude to President @realDonaldTrump for uncovering and putting an end to this dark conspiracy.”
His comments came Wednesday after right-wing political commentator Kyle Becker posted screenshots from the government’s spending website on X, which showed Politico’s expenses totaling $8.1 million.
Becker attributed the closure of USAID offices and halt in funding to “a payroll glitch” at Politico on Tuesday, which meant its staff did not receive their paychecks on time. The “technical error” was later fixed.
Conservative group Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk and influencer Benny Johnson shared Becker’s claims. Johnson called the discovery “the biggest scandal in news media history.”
Critics were quick to point out that Tenet Media previously hired Johnson before the organization was accused in a federal indictment of being a Russian-funded propaganda outlet. He denies knowing about the alleged funds.
MAGA MOVEMENT
Yet that did little to calm commentators supporting Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement. Referring to critical coverage of Trump on the Politico website, some conservatives spoke of “corruption” and claimed Politico received USAID cash to “destroy the MAGA” movement.
Conservative radio host Dana Loesch even called for “protests” outside Politico’s offices and for “every news agency” to be investigated.
However, The Associated Press (AP) news agency’s investigative reporter, Byron Tau, explained that Politico was not receiving funding from USAID.
He said the expenses appeared as staff bought Politico’s Pro editorial product subscriptions.
He added that this was the case across many federal government agencies and departments and “was not because Politico was being grant-funded.”
Politico’s Pro product is widely subscribed to by federal employees and Washington lobbyists because it provides dedicated coverage of legislation and close-up analysis of technical and regulatory work across departments.
However, in Budapest, Orbán also questioned USAID’s role in supporting opposition media. On the day of Trump’s inauguration, the U.S. Embassy in Budapest announced the distribution of nearly 200 million Hungarian forints (about $400,000) to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and media outlets under the Free Media Tender.
IMPACTING MEDIA
“These payments are now directly affected by Trump’s executive order, cutting off substantial grants to Hungarian opposition outlets such as 444, Jelen, G7, Magyar Hang, and Transparency International,” the Hungarian Conservative publication reported.
Trump’s decision has had a “severe impact” on Hungarian opposition media outlets and government-critical nongovernmental organizations, “many of which are part of or connected to the network of Hungarian-born American billionaire George Soros,” the outlet added.
“These groups have received substantial grants through USAID programs and US Embassy-financed tenders under the tenure of [former ambassador] David Pressman.”
The prime minister’s Political Director, Balázs Orbán noted that “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…”
Elon Musk, the famed billionaire and Trump’s government efficiency adviser, shared Balázs Orbán’s comments on X, adding that “these outlets were never truly independent, to begin with.”
Besides funding media, the White House said USAID was responsible for “waste” and “abuse,” including spending $1.5 million to “advance diversity equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities.”
It also noted $70,000 for the production of a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) musical in Ireland, $47,000 for a “transgender opera” in Colombia, and $32,000 for a “transgender comic book” in Peru. Also on the list was $2 million for sex changes and “LGBT activism” in Guatemala.
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Additionally, about $2.5 million was reserved for electric vehicles in Vietnam. The White House also complained that $6 million of taxpayers’ money was spent to fund Egypt’s tourism.
Separately, “Hundreds of thousands of dollars [was given] for a non-profit linked to designated terrorist organizations — even AFTER an inspector general launched an investigation. Millions went to EcoHealth Alliance — which was involved in research at the Wuhan lab” in China, where some experts believe the COVID-19 pandemic originated. “Hundreds of thousands of meals that went to al Qaeda-affiliated fighters in Syria,” the White House added.
There was also funding to print “personalized” contraceptive birth control devices in developing countries
Hundreds of millions of dollars for “irrigation canals, farming equipment, and even fertilizer used to support the unprecedented poppy cultivation and heroin production in Afghanistan,” benefiting the Taliban, the White House complained.
“The list literally goes on and on — and it has all been happening for decades. Under President Trump, the waste, fraud, and abuse ENDS NOW.”
Thousands of employees at (USAID) will be placed on leave from Friday night, the agency announced Wednesday.
DIRECT-HIRE PERSONNEL
A USAID statement said the order would affect all “direct-hire personnel” except those on “mission-critical functions, core leadership, and specially designated programs.”
It’s unclear exactly which jobs are affected. The statement, posted on the agency’s website, said employees would be notified by Thursday afternoon
However, Trump’s actions have raised questions from Democrats over their legality, and they argue that any winding down of the agency is likely to have “dramatic consequences” for global life-saving aid from the United States.
An HIV patient in Nigeria said she and others are worried that free anti-retroviral drugs, funded by USAID, would be cut off.
“I am really scared about what the future holds given all that is going on in America,” she told reporters.
“I got my last set of HIV drugs in November, and I am supposed to go back in April… but I don’t know what would happen by then. These free drugs are really important for me, and most of us (HIV patients) would be in trouble if it is affected,” she added.
In fiscal year 2023, the United States disbursed, partly via USAID, $72 billion of aid worldwide, covering everything from women’s health in conflict zones to access to clean water, HIV/AIDS treatments, energy security, and anti-corruption work. In 2024, it provided 42 percent of all humanitarian aid tracked by the United Nations.
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