US Vice President JD Vance will visit Budapest on April 7 for a joint press conference and rally with Prime Minister Viktor Orban, state news agency MTI reported on April 6. The press conference is scheduled for 1:20 PM CET at Orban’s office in the Carmelite Monastery, followed by a rally a few hours later, dubbed the "Day of Hungarian-American Friendship". 

The visit comes just days ahead of the pivotal April 12 election and is widely viewed as a demonstration of support for Orban and his Fidesz party, which is currently trailing the opposition Tisza Party.

Although polls show a substantial lead for Peter Magyar’s party, with Polymarket giving him a 70-30% chance of winning, analysts caution that it is too early to declare an opposition victory, given Fidesz’s strong mobilisation, well-organised party structure, and an election landscape that remains tilted in their favour.

Politico has dubbed the visit the "Save Viktor Orban" plan, highlighting the effort to support the US administration’s top ally in Europe. Analysts note that the campaign rally reflects Washington’s willingness to intervene in the Hungarian election. The visit comes seven weeks after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's trip to Budapest in February.

The US secretary of state openly endorsed Orban and avoided confronting his host on sensitive issues, such as Hungary’s engagement with China or its reluctance to reduce its dependency on Russian energy.

Orban, 62, is the longest-serving prime minister in Europe and is widely regarded by radical-right figures in Washington as a model of nationalist-populist leadership. His potential defeat could deal a blow to the MAGA movement and other Eurosceptic forces, leftist daily Nepszava writes. Analysts suggest that, with Orban losing power, his vision of illiberal democracy could lose appeal elsewhere.

At the recent CPAC Hungary conference, radical right-wing leaders reaffirmed their support for Orbán, and one of the day’s highlights was a video message from US President Donald Trump, who described Orban as a strong leader.

Balázs Ablonczy, an analyst for the conservative weekly Valasz Online, called Orban’s close alignment with Trump potentially politically risky. To illustrate Hungary’s alignment with Washington, Ablonczy recalled that after the first strikes against Iran, the foreign ministry framed attacks as carried out by Israel, omitting US involvement. He noted that Hungary’s highly ideological foreign policy contrasts with its claims of pragmatism and national interest.

The government’s narrative has widely exaggerated the economic consequences of disruptions to the Druzhba pipeline while downplaying the broader geopolitical tensions and potential energy crisis stemming from the war in Iran.

Peter Magyar, in a recent interview with 444.hu, said he expects the vice president to clarify that the United States does not seek Hungary’s potential military involvement in the Iran war. Magyar referred to a comment by cabinet minister Gergely Gulyas last month, who said that the government would consider providing military assistance to the United States if formally requested. Magyar also called on the prime minister not to sign any agreements in the coming days that could compromise Hungary’s security or limit the next government’s authority.