The problem(s) with Sen. J.D. Vance’s praise for Hungary’s Orbán

It was just last week when Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, still hoping to salvage what remains of the Republican Party’s traditional foreign policy vision, condemned Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and urged fellow conservatives to reject the far-right strongman.

Three days later, Sen. J.D. Vance appeared on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” If the Ohio Republican heard McConnell’s remarks, the senator apparently chose to ignore the advice. HuffPost reported:

Of particular interest, Orbán has, among other things, exerted greater governmental control over what’s taught in university classrooms in Hungary. Vance has praised the tactics in the past, and he doubled down on those comments during his latest CBS appearance.

Host Margaret Brennan reminded her guest that Orbán has “seized control of state universities” and put them under the control of foundations run by his allies.

“Well, look. I’m not endorsing every single thing that Viktor Orbán has ever done. I don’t know everything he’s ever done,” the Republican ultimately replied. “What I do think is on the university, on the university principle, the idea that taxpayers should have some influence in how their money is spent at these universities. It’s a totally reasonable thing. And I do think that he’s made some smart decisions there that we could learn from in the United States.”

In case anyone needs a reminder, my MSNBC colleague Zeeshan Aleem explained a while back that Orbán’s right-wing agenda has included a series of steps to undermine democratic institutions, “through measures like consolidation of hundreds of media outlets under the control of political allies, gaming elections, and using emergencies like the coronavirus pandemic to dramatically expand executive power.”

Vox published a related report in 2018 on “how democracy died in Hungary.” It noted a vote from the European Parliament, which labelled Orbán’s government a “systemic threat to the rule of law.” The New York Times’ Jamelle Bouie added that Orbán’s Hungary “is corrupt, repressive and authoritarian, a place where democracy is little more than window dressing.”

It was against this backdrop that Republicans and their allies in the United States started characterizing Orbán as an ally and a champion of conservative values. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, for example, has publicly touted Orbán’s approach to governing. After Tucker Carlson cozied up to the Hungarian leader, New York magazine’s Jon Chait noted that the host “is laying down a marker in the highest profile way he can that Orbán’s iron fist is the future the Republican Party should want.”

Donald Trump, of course, has not only gushed about Orbán, he’s also endorsed the Hungarian’s political campaigns, re-election campaign — more than once.

It’s precisely why McConnell, still mindful of how the GOP used to see the world, wants desperately to steer his party away from Orbán’s model. And yet, there was Vance yesterday, telling a national television audience that the Hungarian leader has “made some smart decisions ... that we could learn from in the United States.”

This post updates our related earlier coverage.