Rubio says Trump backs Orbán

Trump’s best friend in Europe counts on White House to stay in power

Hungary’s right-wing populist president has long been a thorn in the side of the European Union - and he could also be a sign of things to come.

Reposts 1 3h

La Repubblica

Rubio's assist to his friend Orbán irks Brussels

The Secretary of State left the Munich conference without meeting Kaja Kallas, then met in Bratislava and Budapest with the EU's most Trumpist leaders.

Reposts 0 3h

by Anders Aslund

112%

Scholar power: 112.0%

Story's scientific field profile

Political science 79%, Communication & Media Studies 11%, History 10%

Name	Field match	H-index	Scholar power
🎓 Anders Aslund	64%	34	112.0%

Formula for scholar power: 3 × author's field match × √author's h-index

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Scholar power

57.0%

5.7 h

28

112.0%

Ranking score

1.203

Formula for ranking score (post): scholar_power × max((total_reposts)^(1/3), 1) × (1 / max(hours_since_posted, 1)) × (raw_relevance)^3

by Anders Aslund

112%

Scholar power: 112.0%

Story's scientific field profile

Political science 79%, Communication & Media Studies 11%, History 10%

Name	Field match	H-index	Scholar power
🎓 Anders Aslund	64%	34	112.0%

Formula for scholar power: 3 × author's field match × √author's h-index

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Scholar power

56.0%

5.9 h

110

112.0%

Ranking score

1.833

Formula for ranking score (post): scholar_power × max((total_reposts)^(1/3), 1) × (1 / max(hours_since_posted, 1)) × (raw_relevance)^3

by Anders Aslund

112%

Scholar power: 112.0%

Story's scientific field profile

Political science 79%, Communication & Media Studies 11%, History 10%

Name	Field match	H-index	Scholar power
🎓 Anders Aslund	64%	34	112.0%

Formula for scholar power: 3 × author's field match × √author's h-index

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Scholar power

47.0%

5.9 h

74

112.0%

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0.853

Formula for ranking score (post): scholar_power × max((total_reposts)^(1/3), 1) × (1 / max(hours_since_posted, 1)) × (raw_relevance)^3

by Alberto Alemanno

68%

Scholar power: 68.9%

Story's scientific field profile

Political science 79%, Communication & Media Studies 11%, History 10%

Name	Field match	H-index	Scholar power
🎓 Alberto Alemanno	49%	22	68.9%

Formula for scholar power: 3 × author's field match × √author's h-index

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47.0%

6.4 h

17

68.9%

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0.266

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Reposted by Mohan J. Dutta

11%

Scholar power: 11.5%

Story's scientific field profile

Political science 79%, Communication & Media Studies 11%, History 10%

Name	Field match	H-index	Scholar power
🎓 Mohan J. Dutta	16%	52	11.5%

Formula for scholar power: sum of each reposter's field match × √reposter's h-index

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Scholar power

50.0%

6.4 h

3590

11.5%

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0.308

Formula for ranking score (post): scholar_power × max((total_reposts)^(1/3), 1) × (1 / max(hours_since_posted, 1)) × (raw_relevance)^3

by Andrew Watt

47%

Scholar power: 47.6%

Story's scientific field profile

Political science 79%, Communication & Media Studies 11%, History 10%

Name	Field match	H-index	Scholar power
🎓 Andrew Watt	30%	28	47.6%

Formula for scholar power: 3 × author's field match × √author's h-index

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Scholar power

58.0%

6.4 h

1

47.6%

Ranking score

0.135

Formula for ranking score (post): scholar_power × max((total_reposts)^(1/3), 1) × (1 / max(hours_since_posted, 1)) × (raw_relevance)^3

Andrew Watt

@andrewwatteu.bsky.social

Update
Some further context to judge Rubio's speech and the fawning reaction to it in Munich. What "Little Marco" thought of Viktor Orban in 2019...

bsky.app/profile/mijr...

Mujtaba Rahman @mijrahman.bsky.social · 6h

Remember when Rubio criticised Hungary's democratic backsliding?

What changed? Certainly not Hungary's democratic backsliding

February 16, 2026 at 9:33 PM

Reposted by Andrew Watt

15%

Scholar power: 15.9%

Story's scientific field profile

Political science 79%, Communication & Media Studies 11%, History 10%

Name	Field match	H-index	Scholar power
🎓 Andrew Watt	30%	28	15.9%

Formula for scholar power: sum of each reposter's field match × √reposter's h-index

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Scholar power

48.0%

6.5 h

0

15.9%

Ranking score

0.025

Formula for ranking score (post): scholar_power × max((total_reposts)^(1/3), 1) × (1 / max(hours_since_posted, 1)) × (raw_relevance)^3

Mujtaba Rahman

@mijrahman.bsky.social

Remember when Rubio criticised Hungary's democratic backsliding?

What changed? Certainly not Hungary's democratic backsliding

February 16, 2026 at 9:24 PM

by Oliver Stuenkel Reposted by Andrés Malamud

104%

Scholar power: 104.3%

Story's scientific field profile

Political science 79%, Communication & Media Studies 11%, History 10%

Name	Field match	H-index	Scholar power
🎓 Oliver Stuenkel	55%	20	73.8%
🎓 Andrés Malamud	65%	22	30.5%
Total			104.3%

Formula for scholar power: 3 × author's field match × √author's h-index + sum of each reposter's field match × √reposter's h-index

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Scholar power

48.0%

6.9 h

76

104.3%

Ranking score

0.698

Formula for ranking score (post): scholar_power × max((total_reposts)^(1/3), 1) × (1 / max(hours_since_posted, 1)) × (raw_relevance)^3

by Reinhard Schulze

47%

Scholar power: 47.8%

Story's scientific field profile

Political science 79%, Communication & Media Studies 11%, History 10%

Name	Field match	H-index	Scholar power
🎓 Reinhard Schulze	46%	12	47.8%

Formula for scholar power: 3 × author's field match × √author's h-index

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Scholar power

52.0%

8.2 h

2

47.8%

Ranking score

0.107

Formula for ranking score (post): scholar_power × max((total_reposts)^(1/3), 1) × (1 / max(hours_since_posted, 1)) × (raw_relevance)^3

Reposted by Peter Holmes

11%

Scholar power: 11.2%

Story's scientific field profile

Political science 79%, Communication & Media Studies 11%, History 10%

Name	Field match	H-index	Scholar power
🎓 Peter Holmes	25%	20	11.2%

Formula for scholar power: sum of each reposter's field match × √reposter's h-index

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Scholar power

62.0%

8.3 h

19

11.2%

Ranking score

0.077

Formula for ranking score (post): scholar_power × max((total_reposts)^(1/3), 1) × (1 / max(hours_since_posted, 1)) × (raw_relevance)^3

Anton Spisak

@antonspisak.bsky.social

Worth noting that the only two European capitals on Rubio’s post-Munich tour were Budapest and Bratislava. Orbán and Fico. This is the NSS in action: “cultivating resistance within European nations”. And it’s probably just the beginning.

www.ft.com/content/929c...

Marco Rubio says Viktor Orbán’s leadership is ‘essential’ to US interests

US secretary of state hails ‘golden era’ in relations with Hungary and its pro-Russian premier

www.ft.com

February 16, 2026 at 7:37 PM

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

Rubio in Hungary: Orbán gets backing from America

As the Hungarian election campaign grows dirtier, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio openly voices support for Viktor Orbán in Budapest. His relationship with Trump is 'extraordinary'.

Reposts 1 8h

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

Rubio in Budapest: What Orbán's Thick Sauce Is Covering Up

Orbán stood by Trump when others had written him off. That is the kind of thing someone like him would remember. But the mutual praise masks a major disagreement.

Reposts 1 9h

Der Spiegel

Hungary — Marco Rubio comes to Viktor Orbán's aid: Now the Americans want to save Orbán

Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orbán is facing a tight re-election bid. The Trump administration is backing him and openly supporting his anti-EU stance in the campaign.

Reposts 3 10h

Reposted by James S. Shortle

3%

Scholar power: 3%

Story's scientific field profile

Political science 79%, Communication & Media Studies 11%, History 10%

Name	Field match	H-index	Scholar power
🎓 James S. Shortle	-	40	-

Reposted by Anders Aslund

37%

Scholar power: 37.3%

Story's scientific field profile

Political science 79%, Communication & Media Studies 11%, History 10%

Name	Field match	H-index	Scholar power
🎓 Anders Aslund	64%	34	37.3%

Formula for scholar power: sum of each reposter's field match × √reposter's h-index

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Scholar power

59.0%

10.3 h

110

37.3%

Ranking score

0.334

Formula for ranking score (post): scholar_power × max((total_reposts)^(1/3), 1) × (1 / max(hours_since_posted, 1)) × (raw_relevance)^3

Le Monde

In Hungary, Viktor Orban wins the backing of the Trump administration, two months before the legislative elections

The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, was in Budapest on Sunday and Monday. "President Trump is deeply committed to your success, because your success is ours," he said, addressing the nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orban, whom the latest polls show as losing to his opponent Peter Magyar ahead of the legislative elections on April 12.

Reposts 9 10h

Handelsblatt

Hungary: "Golden Era" – Rubio underscores close US ties to Orban

Hungary's prime minister faces his first electoral defeat in 16 years in the April vote. He now gains backing thanks to the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Rubio to Budapest

Reposts 5 10h

by Ian Bremmer

80%

Scholar power: 80.6%

Story's scientific field profile

Political science 79%, Communication & Media Studies 11%, History 10%

Name	Field match	H-index	Scholar power
🎓 Ian Bremmer	56%	23	80.6%

Formula for scholar power: 3 × author's field match × √author's h-index

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Scholar power

68.0%

10.7 h

2

80.6%

Ranking score

0.649

Formula for ranking score (post): scholar_power × max((total_reposts)^(1/3), 1) × (1 / max(hours_since_posted, 1)) × (raw_relevance)^3

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Rubio says Trump backs Orbán

Trump’s best friend in Europe counts on White House to stay in power

Rubio's assist to his friend Orbán irks Brussels

Rubio in Hungary: Orbán gets backing from America

Rubio in Budapest: What Orbán's Thick Sauce Is Covering Up

Hungary — Marco Rubio comes to Viktor Orbán's aid: Now the Americans want to save Orbán

In Hungary, Viktor Orban wins the backing of the Trump administration, two months before the legislative elections

Hungary: "Golden Era" – Rubio underscores close US ties to Orban

Add to Home Screen

Light upyour news

Rubio says Trump backs Orbán

Trump’s best friend in Europe counts on White House to stay in power

Rubio's assist to his friend Orbán irks Brussels

Scholar power: 112.0%

Scholar power: 112.0%

Scholar power: 112.0%

Scholar power: 68.9%

Scholar power: 11.5%

Scholar power: 47.6%

Scholar power: 15.9%

Scholar power: 104.3%

Scholar power: 47.8%

Scholar power: 11.2%

Rubio in Hungary: Orbán gets backing from America

Rubio in Budapest: What Orbán's Thick Sauce Is Covering Up

Hungary — Marco Rubio comes to Viktor Orbán's aid: Now the Americans want to save Orbán

Scholar power: 3%

Scholar power: 37.3%

In Hungary, Viktor Orban wins the backing of the Trump administration, two months before the legislative elections

Hungary: "Golden Era" – Rubio underscores close US ties to Orban

Scholar power: 80.6%

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