On Wednesday, during an MS NOW segment, host Joe Scarborough claimed that U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are “freaking out” over the possible election loss of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
According to Raw Story, while speaking on his show, Scarborough urged Republicans to “wake up” and pointed to the recent polling that suggests Orbán could lose Hungary’s upcoming election on April 12. The vote is seen as an important test for the long-serving leader, who has faced criticism from Western governments over his policies and approach to democratic institutions.
Joe Scarborough says Trump is “freaking out” because his ally Viktor Orbán is about to lose an election, urging Republicans to wake up and stop backing an “illiberal thug.”https://t.co/KpCZ9NTLGX
— tomwellborn3rd (@TomWellborn3) April 1, 2026
While talking about it, Scarborough said, “Vladimir Putin, [Russian Foreign Minister] Sergey Lavrov, [Secretary of State] Marco Rubio and Donald Trump, all desperately working to try to hold up a man’s political career who works day and night to undermine Western democracy, and to help Vladimir Putin, and that of course is Orbán, who has an election coming up.”
“Right now, both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are freaking out that Orbán, this illiberal thug, might actually lose!” he further added.
Orbán has been a close ally of Trump and has often aligned with him on issues such as immigration and nationalism. Meanwhile, Trump has previously endorsed Orbán for the upcoming election, citing their close relationship. The current U.S. president asked Hungarian voters to support Orban, which also drew criticism from political opponents and analysts.
Hungary’s upcoming election is being closely watched across Europe and the United States, analysts say. Some critics say Orbán has weakened democratic checks and balances during his time in office. Supporters defend him, saying he promotes national sovereignty and traditional culture.
While addressing the public through his show, Scarborough also issued a warning to Republicans in the United States, asking them to distance themselves from Trump’s policy.
“Wake up, Republicans!” Scarborough said. “Maybe take a break from shooting clays in Edgefield County and actually be a patriot and push back on the president supporting an illiberal thug who’s helping Vladimir Putin.”
BREAKING: In a desperate effort to help Hungarian autocrat Viktor Orban, a close ally of the Kremlin, win the April election, where polls show he’s expected to lose, Russia’s foreign intelligence service (SVR) reportedly proposed “the Gamechanger,” a staged assassination attempt… pic.twitter.com/JIcO0rQlwc
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) March 21, 2026
His comments were a reference to what Senator Lindsey Graham said. He recently spoke about a shooting episode in South Carolina. It highlighted the growing political tensions over foreign influence and alliances.
Analysts believe the outcome of Hungary’s election could have wider implications for Europe. Nevertheless, if Orbán were to lose, it would mark a significant shift in Hungarian politics since he’s been running the office for more than a decade. It will also weaken the alliance for both Trump and Putin.
