Last Saturday, January 21, millions marched worldwide to protest the inauguration of President Trump.
On the same day Hungary’s Ambassador to Washington, Réka Szemerkényi, organized a party to celebrate the inauguration of the new president. The Salute to Freedom Inaugural Brunch was held at the newly purchased Hungarian Embassy building in Washington DC. Salute to Freedom?
Hungary, one of the poorest countries in the European Union, just paid $16.5 million for the famous Brodhead-Bell-Morton mansion. The 20,000-square-foot, Beaux Arts-style palace had been on the market since 2014.
There were lots of smiles and Trump supporters at the reception. Republican Congressman Mike Coffman of Colorado and Steve King of Iowa, two Tea Party heavyweights were there. Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Rep. Steven Womack of Arkansas were also present.
The Ambassador also invited numerous Hungarian Americans, all staunch Trump and Orbán supporters.
Most interesting was Governor George Pataki’s passionate speech: “Today everything changes. For the past 8 years, it seems to me that the Administration has been confused and too often spent time with avowed enemies of America – like Iran and Cuba – and not enough time with committed friends of America, like the Visegrad Four…. Hungary has been such a great friend to America – not just being in NATO, but sending troops to Afghanistan, helping support logistically in Iraq, camps and transfer bases and working on counter-terrorism measures. For the past 6 years, Hungary has been a great friend to America; sadly America has not been a good enough friend to Hungary. That ends now.”
Gov. Pataki said that Trump is unqualified to be President; now he is celebrating Trump’s inauguration with Amb. Szemerkényi (right corner in black dress) and Hungarian-American friends.
Last year the ex-Governor of New York and also a prominent Hungarian-American visited Budapest and in an interview to Hungarian weekly Figyelő Pataki warmly praised Mr. Orbán, noting the he has a “strong” government and described Hungary as a free market economy with a solid democratic system.
Solid democratic system?
70-year-old George Pataki has Italian and Hungarian ancestry and he was a republican presidential candidate himself with a clear message for Donald Trump – Step down! He said that he was horrified by Trump’s “poisonous mix” of bigotry and ignorance. “Enough!” Pataki wrote. “He needs to step down.”
Mr. Trump immediately insulted Mr. Pataki with a twitter. “Why is someone like George Pataki, who did a terrible job as Governor of N.Y. and registers ZERO in the polls, allowed on the debate stage?” (Read more here.)
Mr. Pataki called Trump “unqualified” and declared, “I think Donald Trump would drive the Republicans off a cliff.“ He also added that “the key is to stop Donald Trump.” Pataki’s own twitter asked the question, “Why is a serially bankrupt Trump who insults Mexicans, Women, Blacks, Jews & POW’s on the debate stage?” (Read more about the tweets here.)
Now the election and the inauguration is over and last Saturday at the Hungarian Embassy Gov. Pataki couldn’t be happier. He was celebrating his new president, Donald Trump.
György Lázár
*Click here to see Gov. Pataki’s speech praising Mr. Orbán at the Salute to Freedom Inaugural Brunch
