JD Vance visits Hungary ahead of closely watched vote

April 7, 2026

Summary

Vice President JD Vance visited Budapest before Sunday’s election, where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán faces a strong challenge.

Why this matters

The visit underscored Trump administration support for Orbán as Hungary approached a closely contested election. It also highlighted Hungary’s distinct position within Europe on Russia, Ukraine, and ties to the U.S. right.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Budapest on Tuesday, days before Hungary’s national election, for a two-day trip that includes an official visit with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and an appearance at one of Orbán’s campaign rallies.

Orbán, in power since 2010, is seeking a fifth straight term. His nationalist-populist Fidesz party faces a strong challenge from the center-right Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, in what appears to be Orbán’s toughest race in two decades.

Trump has repeatedly endorsed Orbán’s reelection bid. Vance’s visit was the latest sign of support from the Trump administration as Hungarians prepared to vote Sunday.

Most independent polls showed Fidesz trailing by double digits among decided voters ahead of the April 12 election.

Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, were greeted at the Budapest airport by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, who presented her with a bouquet of flowers.

The visit followed other recent signs of U.S. backing for Orbán. In November, Hungary received an exemption from U.S. sanctions on Russian oil and gas after a White House meeting between Orbán and Trump.

Hungary has broken with most European Union countries by refusing to provide Ukraine with financial aid or weapons after Russia’s full-scale invasion, and it has continued buying Russian energy despite broader European Union efforts to reduce such dependence.

In February, Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Budapest and praised Orbán and the “person-to-person connection” he had established with Trump, telling Orbán: “President Trump is deeply committed to your success because your success is our success.”

Late last month, Orbán hosted allies from Europe and elsewhere at CPAC Hungary and at a meeting of the Patriots for Europe party family, the third-largest group in the European Parliament. Trump sent a video message to CPAC Hungary, saying Orbán had his “complete and total endorsement” and was a “fantastic guy.”

Orbán has long faced criticism from opponents and other critics over Hungary’s institutions, press freedom, and corruption, allegations he denies.

Vance’s planned appearance at Orbán’s rally was unusual for a foreign leader. Orbán has criticized statements by other European Union leaders supporting his opponent as interference in Hungary’s sovereignty and election.

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U.S. stock futures rose early Tuesday as investors watched Middle East developments ahead of President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on key infrastructure.

Futures tied to the S&P 500 rose about 0.1%, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures added about 0.2%. Nasdaq 100 futures were little changed after Wall Street stocks closed higher on Monday.

Trump set a 48-hour deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with the deadline due to expire Tuesday evening. In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “Open the F*****’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”

Investor sentiment appeared to reflect hopes that tensions could ease. Trump said, “Unfortunately, the American people would like to see us come home” as he appeared to step back from a ground campaign to seize Iran’s oil.

In commodities trading, Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell 0.7% to about $109 a barrel. U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate was broadly flat at around $112.

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Former Australian special forces soldier Ben Roberts-Smith was arrested at Sydney Airport and charged with alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan.

The Australian Federal Police said Tuesday that Roberts-Smith, 47, was charged with five counts of war crimes tied to the deaths of five people in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. The maximum penalty for each charge is life imprisonment.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said at a news conference in Sydney that “it will be alleged the victims were not taking part in hostilities at the time of their alleged murder in Afghanistan.”

Barrett said police would also allege the victims were shot by the accused or by subordinates acting on his orders and in his presence.

She said the charges followed a “complex” investigation by the Australian Federal Police and the Office of the Special Investigator that dated to 2021.

A New South Wales local court said Roberts-Smith would appear Wednesday for a bail hearing.

The arrest followed Roberts-Smith’s unsuccessful defamation case against journalists who reported that he was “complicit in and responsible for the murder” of unarmed Afghan men. In 2023, an Australian judge found the journalists had not defamed him. The Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia upheld that ruling in May last year.

About 39,000 Australian troops were deployed to Afghanistan as part of U.S. and NATO-led operations against the Taliban and other armed groups over two decades.

Before the charges, Roberts-Smith had received the Victoria Cross for his fifth tour of Afghanistan and was reported to be Australia’s most-decorated living war veteran.

Former Australian military lawyer David McBride remained imprisoned in Australia over his role in disclosing information about alleged Australian war crimes in Afghanistan. Australian Sen. David Shoebridge responded to news of Roberts-Smith’s arrest by posting, “Release David McBride” on X.
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The video showed a globe, then zoomed in on the Stargate data center in the United Arab Emirates with the message, “nothing stays hidden to our sight, though hidden by Google.”

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The warning followed a threat from President Donald Trump to strike Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including power plants and water desalination plants, by the end of Tuesday if Iran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The shipping route has disrupted global supply-chain traffic since the start of the war in February.

Iranian missiles struck Amazon Web Services data centers in Bahrain and an Oracle data center in Dubai. Iran also threatened technology companies including Nvidia and Apple by name last week.
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Iran Rejects U.S. Ceasefire Plan, Seeks End to War

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Iran rejected a U.S. ceasefire proposal but said it wants a permanent end to the war, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency.

IRNA reported that Tehran sent its response through Pakistan, rejecting a temporary ceasefire and calling instead for a lasting resolution.

The proposal called for a 45-day ceasefire followed by talks on a broader peace agreement, multiple news outlets reported.

One major sticking point was Iran’s reported refusal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for a temporary ceasefire. About a fifth of the world’s oil supply typically passes through the strait, which the article said Iran had effectively blocked. The same Iranian official said that the U.S was not prepared for a permanent ceasefire and that Tehran would not accept outside deadlines.

Pakistan played a central role in the talks. According to the report, Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, was in contact overnight with Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

President Donald Trump said over the weekend that Iran must fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 8 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday or face U.S. strikes on power plants and bridges. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump said, “If they don’t come through, if they want to keep it closed, they’re going to lose every power plant and every other plant they have in the whole country.” He later repeated the deadline and posted a separate expletive-filled warning on Truth Social.

Iranian officials responded by warning of broader regional consequences. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Trump’s “reckless moves” would mean “our whole region is going to burn.” Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on X that threats to attack power plants and bridges could amount to war crimes under the Rome Statute.

Separately, CBS News reported that an overnight Iranian drone strike on Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait wounded 15 Americans. Two U.S. officials told CBS that most had returned to duty. A U.S. Central Command spokesperson said 373 U.S. service members had been hurt since the conflict began, including 330 who had resumed duty and five who remained seriously wounded.
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An Israeli airstrike killed at least 10 people and wounded several others outside a school sheltering displaced Palestinians on Monday, health officials said, in the latest violence since a fragile U.S.-backed ceasefire began in Gaza in October.

The strike followed clashes near the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, where medics and residents said Palestinians confronted members of an Israeli-backed militia after the group tried to abduct people at the school. They said Israeli drones then fired two missiles into the area.

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Ahmed al-Maghazi, an eyewitness, told Reuters that militia members operating near territory controlled by Israeli forces attacked the area before opening fire. “The residents tried to defend their homes, but the occupation forces targeted them directly,” he said.

Later Monday, a leader of one of the Israeli-backed militias said in a video that Reuters could not immediately authenticate that the group had killed about five Hamas members. Hamas did not immediately comment. It has described groups operating in Israeli-controlled areas as “Israeli collaborators.”

Earlier Monday, medics said an Israeli airstrike killed one Palestinian and wounded a child traveling on a motorbike in Gaza City. They said Israeli forces later killed another Palestinian by firing on a vehicle in central Gaza, bringing the day’s death toll to at least 12.

The Israeli military said it fired at an “unmarked vehicle” that kept accelerating toward troops despite “warning shots.”

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said a contractor in Gaza was killed during a security incident, prompting the agency to suspend medical evacuations from Gaza through Rafah to Egypt until further notice.

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Hungary has broken with most European Union countries by refusing to provide Ukraine with financial aid or weapons after Russia’s full-scale invasion, and it has continued buying Russian energy despite broader European Union efforts to reduce such dependence.

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U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Budapest on Tuesday, days before Hungary’s national election, for a two-day trip that includes an official visit with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and an appearance at one of Orbán’s campaign rallies.

Orbán, in power since 2010, is seeking a fifth straight term. His nationalist-populist Fidesz party faces a strong challenge from the center-right Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, in what appears to be Orbán’s toughest race in two decades.

Trump has repeatedly endorsed Orbán’s reelection bid. Vance’s visit was the latest sign of support from the Trump administration as Hungarians prepared to vote Sunday.

Most independent polls showed Fidesz trailing by double digits among decided voters ahead of the April 12 election.

Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, were greeted at the Budapest airport by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, who presented her with a bouquet of flowers.

The visit followed other recent signs of U.S. backing for Orbán. In November, Hungary received an exemption from U.S. sanctions on Russian oil and gas after a White House meeting between Orbán and Trump.

Hungary has broken with most European Union countries by refusing to provide Ukraine with financial aid or weapons after Russia’s full-scale invasion, and it has continued buying Russian energy despite broader European Union efforts to reduce such dependence.

In February, Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Budapest and praised Orbán and the “person-to-person connection” he had established with Trump, telling Orbán: “President Trump is deeply committed to your success because your success is our success.”

Late last month, Orbán hosted allies from Europe and elsewhere at CPAC Hungary and at a meeting of the Patriots for Europe party family, the third-largest group in the European Parliament. Trump sent a video message to CPAC Hungary, saying Orbán had his “complete and total endorsement” and was a “fantastic guy.”

Orbán has long faced criticism from opponents and other critics over Hungary’s institutions, press freedom, and corruption, allegations he denies.

Vance’s planned appearance at Orbán’s rally was unusual for a foreign leader. Orbán has criticized statements by other European Union leaders supporting his opponent as interference in Hungary’s sovereignty and election.
Latin America

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Two U.S. lawmakers called for a long-term response to Cuba’s economic and energy problems after a five-day official visit to the island that ended Sunday.

Democratic Reps. Pramila Jayapal of Washington and Jonathan Jackson of Illinois met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, and members of Parliament.

Díaz-Canel wrote on X on Monday that he had “denounced the criminal damage caused by the #blockade, particularly the consequences of the energy embargo imposed by the current U.S. administration and its threats of even more aggressive actions.” He added: “I reiterated our government’s willingness to engage in serious and responsible bilateral dialogue and find solutions to our existing differences.”

The United States and Cuba have recently acknowledged talks at the highest level, though neither side has released details.

Jayapal told reporters that recent steps by Cuba — including opening parts of the economy to some investments by Cuban Americans living abroad, announcing pardons for more than 2,000 prisoners, and allowing an FBI team to help investigate a fatal shooting involving a U.S.-flagged boat — “indicate that the moment is here for us to have a real negotiation between the two countries and to reverse the failed U.S. policy of decades, a Cold War remnant that no longer serves the American people or the Cuban people.”

Cuba has released the pardoned prisoners, who were accused of a range of crimes, though none so far appear to be political prisoners.

In late January, President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on any country that sold or provided oil to Cuba, though he exempted a Russian ship that arrived last week with 730,000 barrels of crude oil. It was the first petroleum shipment in three months to reach Cuba, which produces only 40% of the oil it needs.

In a statement released Sunday, Jayapal and Jackson said: “This is cruel collective punishment — effectively an economic bombing of the infrastructure of the country — that has produced permanent damage. It must stop immediately.”

The lawmakers said fuel shortages had contributed to national blackouts, gasoline rationing, reduced public transportation, cuts in working hours, hospital disruptions, and flight suspensions. Russia has promised a second petroleum delivery, though it is unclear when it will arrive.

Jayapal said temporary shipments were not enough: “We need a longer, permanent solution for the Cuban people and the American people.”

Jackson said he would continue work on House initiatives to lift sanctions on Cuba, along with Jayapal, after they prepare a report on the trip.
Middle East

Israel hit natural gas field, killed senior security official

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Israel struck a petrochemical facility at Iran’s South Pars natural gas field and killed senior Iranian security officials, as regional mediators sought a new ceasefire proposal between Iran and the United States.

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel carried out “a powerful strike on the largest petrochemical facility in Iran.” South Pars, which Iran shares with Qatar, is the world’s largest natural gas field.

In Tehran, explosions were reported for hours on Monday. Iranian state media and Katz said one strike killed Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi, the intelligence chief of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. Israel’s military said it also killed Asghar Bakeri, whom it identified as the head of an undercover unit in the Guard’s Quds Force.

One strike hit the grounds of Sharif University of Technology, where Iranian media reported damage to buildings and to a nearby natural gas distribution site. It was not immediately clear what on the campus was targeted.

Iranian media reported other deaths in and around Tehran, Qom, and Eslamshahr. State television said three people were killed when an airstrike hit a home in Tehran. IRAN daily reported at least 15 people were killed near Eslamshahr, five in Qom, and six in other cities.

In Israel, Iranian missiles struck Haifa, where four people were found dead in the rubble of a residential building.

Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia activated air defenses to intercept Iranian missiles and drones, according to the report. Brent crude rose to $109 in early Monday trading, about 50% above its level at the start of the war.

President Donald Trump said Iran faced a Monday night Washington deadline to reopen the strait or the U.S. would target power plants and other infrastructure. In a social media post, he wrote, “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” and later posted, “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!” It was unclear whether that meant the deadline had changed.

More than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran since the war began, according to the report. It said 23 people have been reported killed in Israel, and 13 U.S. service members have been killed.
Military & National Security

Soldier seeks halt to wife’s deportation from base

In September, more than 60 members of Congress wrote to DHS and the Defense Department that arrests of military personnel and veterans’ family members were “betraying its promises to service members who play a key role in protecting U.S. national security.”

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A U.S. Army staff sergeant is trying to stop his wife’s deportation after federal immigration agents detained her at Fort Polk, Louisiana, where the couple had gone days after their wedding to begin paperwork to live together on base.

Staff Sgt. Matthew Blank said he brought his wife, Annie Ramos, 22, to the base Thursday so she could start receiving military benefits and take steps toward a green card. The couple married in March. Ramos, who was born in Honduras, remained in a federal immigration detention center on Monday.

Ramos entered the United States in 2005, when she was younger than 2, according to the Department of Homeland Security. That year, her family failed to appear for an immigration hearing, and a judge issued a final order of removal, DHS said.

“She has no legal status to be in this country,” DHS said in an emailed statement. “This administration is not going to ignore the rule of law.”

Blank said Ramos applied in 2020 for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as DACA, but her application has remained unresolved amid legal challenges to the program.

Last April, DHS ended a 2022 policy that treated military service by an immediate family member as a “significant mitigating factor” in immigration enforcement decisions. The current policy says “military service alone does not exempt aliens from the consequences of violating U.S. immigration laws.”

Margaret Stock, a military immigration law expert, said spouses of active-duty service members previously were often allowed to seek legal status through programs such as parole in place and deferred action. She said Ramos’ case likely would have been resolved differently under that approach.