WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� In Hungary, President Donald Trump and his top officials used social media and to promote in his reelection campaign.
In Argentina, the U.S. administration worked to prop up the country鈥檚 financial markets to the tune of $20 billion — then if its elections didn鈥檛 go his preferred way.
And in Honduras, he for president 鈥� and from the same political party as Hondurans were preparing to vote.
In his second term, Trump has made a public flex of his political influence abroad on a scale that few if any U.S. presidents have exerted, trying to marshal power that he鈥檚 used domestically to sway races in Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe.
Using endorsements to reward loyal and like-minded leaders, he has shattered a U.S. tradition of avoiding overt involvement in the internal politics of other countries, and made the use of some foreign policy tools more about politics than about advancing U.S. interests, according to his critics.
鈥淭he impact of that is to really cheapen a relationship,鈥� said David Pressman, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Hungary during the Biden administration. Pressman, who was on the ground in Budapest as Orban publicly backed Trump in 2024, said Hungarian positions on key issues such as Ukraine felt 鈥渋nfused through a political U.S. rubric,鈥� rather than articulated as sovereign foreign policy.
The most significant test yet of Trump鈥檚 political power abroad may come render a verdict on Prime Minister Viktor Orb谩n’s bid for a fifth term. Orb谩n was the first European leader to back Trump during his 2016 run and remained a close ally even during Trump鈥檚 period of political exile, making sojourns to see him in south Florida and again endorsing the Republican in his 2024 comeback race.
鈥淚 love Hungary and I love that Viktor,鈥� Trump said this week as Vice President JD Vance, visiting Budapest, put him on speakerphone at a rally with more than 1,000 Orb谩n supporters.
Trump says he loves to pick winners
Trump has long reveled in his status as kingmaker in the Republican Party. Now, he boasts that foreign leaders come to him seeking his approval.
鈥淚 love it when I give endorsements and people win,鈥� Trump said last month at a summit with several Latin American leaders whom he had backed.
Often, his picks share his policy views, like fellow immigration hard-liners Orb谩n and , or the , who used the tool to illustrate his zeal to slash spending.
Trump and his officials have often used the Conservative Political Action Conference as a stage for promoting their foreign political friends.
At a CPAC gathering in Warsaw last year, then-Homeland Security Secretary to vote for conservative Karol Nawrocki, and implied that the future of the U.S. military presence in Poland could hinge on the election鈥檚 outcome. Nawrocki .
In Hungary last month, Trump greeted CPAC attendees with a video message from behind the Resolute Desk, urging support for Orb谩n.
鈥淭he prime minister has been a strong leader who鈥檚 shown the entire world what鈥檚 possible when you defend your borders, your culture, your heritage, your sovereignty and your values,鈥� Trump said. He later added, 鈥淚 hope he wins, and I hope he wins big.鈥�
The White House defended Trump鈥檚 approach as a sign of transparency.
鈥淧resident Trump is a great American statesman who will speak or work with anyone, and he makes no secret about those he likes or supports,鈥� spokeswoman Anna Kelly said. 鈥淢any individuals who align with President Trump鈥檚 ideology are getting elected to top offices around the world because everyone wants to replicate his immeasurable success on behalf of the American people,鈥� she said.
Sunday’s election is a big test of Trump’s foreign political clout
Few foreign leaders have amassed as much political support from the Trump administration as Orb谩n. The U.S. president has fired off multiple Truth Social posts promoting the prime minister, whose hard-right authoritarian approach to governance has endeared him to Trump, as did even when Trump was out of power.
鈥淗ungary: GET OUT AND VOTE FOR VIKTOR ORB脕N,鈥� Trump posted Thursday night. On Friday, he said his administration 鈥渟tands ready to use the full Economic Might of the United States鈥� to help Hungary’s economy, if Orb谩n and Hungarians need it.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as a senator, once under Orb谩n. Nonetheless, Rubio and promoted the 鈥渧ery, very close personal relationship and working relationship鈥� between Trump and the prime minister.
During this week, he made the administration鈥檚 endorsement of Orb谩n explicit even as he decried foreign election interference from the European Union.
鈥淥f course we鈥檙e going to work with whoever wins the Hungarian election because we love the people of Hungary and it鈥檚 an important relationship,鈥� Vance told reporters. 鈥淏ut Viktor Orb谩n is going to win the next election in Hungary, so I feel very confident about that and about our continued positive relationship.鈥�
But Orb谩n had been trailing in independent polls ahead of the April 12 election and Trump 鈥� whose push to acquire Greenland and war in Iran have made him unpopular throughout Europe 鈥� may have less sway than he once had.
Past presidents have been more subtle
Past administrations have used different methods to influence power abroad. For instance, the Central Intelligence Agency under President Dwight D. Eisenhower helped engineer a , Jacobo Arbenz.
There have been rare cases when past presidents made their support explicit, such as when former President Bill Clinton backed Russian President Boris Yeltsin鈥檚 1993 move to dissolve parliament and set up new legislative and presidential elections.
But Trump鈥檚 political engagement abroad is without precedent, said James Lindsay, a distinguished senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
鈥淭rump is just different than other presidents, and he鈥檚 viewed differently than other presidents, and that is a strength you can take advantage of,鈥� Lindsay said.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said Trump’s blatant involvement in elections abroad should be viewed as part of the what the administration called the 鈥溾�楾rump Corollary鈥� to the Monroe Doctrine鈥� in its . The 1823 Monroe Doctrine, named for President James Monroe, has been used to justify U.S. military interventions in Latin America.
Kaine, who was a missionary in Honduras at a time of deep covert U.S. involvement in Latin America, called the doctrine 鈥減oison language鈥� for the region. 鈥淚t’s violating best practice,鈥� he said. 鈥淎merica has been deeply involved in regime support, opposition and regime change in the Americas for centuries, and it is not a legacy that we should be proud of.鈥�
Trump has offered carrots 鈥� and sticks 鈥� during foreign races
Sometimes Trump’s support for foreign candidates has come with more than an endorsement.
In October, Trump was particularly blunt about his intent to withhold assistance for Argentina if Milei’s political coalition didn鈥檛 prevail in legislative elections that month. Shortly before Milei’s visit, the administration had finalized , aid that had drawn fierce criticism from U.S. farmers and Democratic lawmakers.
鈥淚f he loses, we are not going to be generous with Argentina. OK?鈥� Trump told a reporter as he hosted Milei at a White House lunch.
In the final days of last year’s Honduran elections, Trump not only made his preference for Nasry Asfura clear, but also emphasized that 鈥渢he United States will not be throwing good money after bad鈥� if Asfura lost. Both Milei and Asfura were successful in their respective elections.
Trump also announced a Juan Orlando Hernandez for U.S. drug trafficking and weapons convictions. 鈥淭his cannot be allowed to happen, especially now, after Tito Asfura wins the Election, when Honduras will be on its way to Great Political and Financial Success,鈥� Trump wrote on social media.
Trump has repeatedly floated a pardon for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and . Netanyahu is enmeshed in a far-reaching corruption case that includes allegations of fraud, breach of trust and bribery. He faces this year.
A fiery Vance speech in the early weeks of the Trump administration strained ties with Germany when, at the Munich Security Conference, he for refusing to work with a far-right party.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz later said it was not the place for a U.S. leader to 鈥渟ay something like that to us in Germany.鈥�
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 do it in America, either,鈥� Merz said.
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