The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) is officially ending funding for the Hungarian Language Service at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), “Szabad Europa.”
In a letter from USAGM CEO Kari Lake to Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), chairman of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, Lake directly references Hungary as a strong ally of the United States and notes how USAGM funding for Szabad Europa served to “undermine” its prime minister, Viktor Orbán.
“It is the position of the Trump Administration that the original justification for adding Szabad Europa to RFE/RL’s programming lineup in 2019 is not aligned with U.S. national interests. This programming has undermined President Trump’s foreign policy by opposing the duly elected Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán. As you know, Prime Minister Orban was (and is) the leader of Hungary, which is both a strong U.S. ally and a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).”
Viktor Orbán’s political director, Balázs Orbán, posted on X to celebrate the news, along with a photo of the letter.
“Originally created to deliver free, uncensored news behind the Iron Curtain, Radio Free Europe once played a key role in promoting liberty during the Cold War,” he posted.
“Over time, however, the outlet lost its original mission, turning into an ideologically driven platform promoting liberal activism, including LGBTQ and gender campaigns, across Central and Eastern Europe. Under the Biden administration, this shift deepened further, as the service increasingly engaged in politically motivated narratives aimed at undermining Hungary’s democratically elected government.
“The Trump administration’s decision marks a return to sober, ally-based cooperation built on mutual respect and balanced partnership,” Orbán’s political director wrote.
Lake further stated in her letter that taxpayer money would only be used for content and activities that “serve the American people,” adding that “undermining staunch allies does not serve the American people.”
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