Then President Donald Trump shakes arms with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban throughout a gathering within the Oval Workplace in Could 2019.
Mark Wilson/Getty Photographs
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Mark Wilson/Getty Photographs
This story first appeared in NPR’s stay weblog of the presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Observe alongside for stay updates, truth checks and evaluation.
Former President Donald Trump cited his shut ties to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to counter assaults by Vice President Harris in Tuesday evening’s presidential debate that world leaders are “laughing” at Trump.
“Let me just say about world leaders, Viktor Orbán, one of the most respected men, they call him a strong man. He’s a tough person. Smart prime minister of Hungary. They said, why is the whole world blowing up?” Trump mentioned.
“He said, ‘Because you need Trump back as president. They were afraid of him. China was afraid.’ And I don’t like to use the word afraid, but I’m just quoting him. ‘China was afraid of him. North Korea was afraid of him.’ Look at what’s going on with North Korea, by the way. He said ‘Russia was afraid of him,’” he added.
The response mirrored Trump’s ongoing embrace of autocratic leaders.
Harris appeared to proceed to attempt to get beneath Trump’s pores and skin, throughout a query concerning the Center East.
Orbán, who has was a hero of Trump’s followers and different conservative populists, is thought for his restrictions on immigration and LGBTQ+ rights. He’s additionally cracked down on the press and judiciary in his nation whereas keep a detailed relationship with Russia.
“He’s trying to, again, divide and distract from the reality, which is it is very well known that Donald Trump is weak and wrong on national security and foreign policy,” Harris mentioned. “It is well known that he admires dictators, wants to be a dictator on day one, according to himself. It is well known that he said of Putin that he can do whatever the hell he wants and go into Ukraine.”
Trump charged again that Russian President Vladimir Putin helps Harris.
“Putin endorsed her final week,’’ Trump mentioned, arguing that it was a critical assertion although many specialists claimed it was a part of Russia’s disinformation marketing campaign for Trump’s profit.
