Tucker Carlson's words carry serious weight in the US

Tucker Carlson's message is being listened to in the United States, and not necessarily only in conservative circles, Rajmund Fekete, director of the Communism Research Institute, told the daily Magyar Nemzet newspaper. He also believes that this makes the US star commentator's meetings with PM Viktor Orban and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic while in Budapest all the more important. In an interview with Mandiner, Tucker Carlson praised the Hungarian prime minister's political skills, saying that the US press hates Mr Orban for reasons that have nothing to do with his actions.

Tucker Carlson MCC Feszt Fotó: Havran Zoltán

While the mainstream media practically depicts the Hungarian prime minister as the devil incarnate, the average American does not see Hungary as the harsh country that the Western press likes to portray it as. International events such as the ongoing World Athletics Championships, or even the World Hunting Exhibition and the Eucharistic Congress are clear examples of this, historian Rajmund Fekete explained to Magyar Nemzet. The director of the Communism Research Institute was reacting to an interview given by Tucker Carlson to Mandiner, in which the American commentator talked about how Hungary serves as an inspiration to many in the US.

According to the expert, Tucker Carlson's words carry a lot of weight in the United States, as he is practically the last Mohican among the classic media personalities. He can reach an even broader audience by no longer doing shows on Fox News, where he was watched by three million people, but by uploading on X (formerly Twitter). His latest interview with Donald Trump, for example, has already had 258 million views.

He's producing numbers that he would never have been able to achieve at, say, Fox News no matter what he does. So he is a very important and influential media personality with a conservative way of thinking, whose voice is noticed, whether the listener sympathizes or not with his views,

Mr Fekete pointed out the significance of Carlson's interview during his stay in Budapest with both PM Viktor Orban and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, which gives the American audience the opportunity to hear the two leader's thoughts first-hand without distortion.

The Hungarian prime minister and the Serbian president are in the spotlight almost daily at the hands of the Western leftist-liberal media or Western politicians. 

The two leaders represent conservative views that are not welcome in countries west of here. In those countries, they try to suppress right-wing, conservative voices and political proposals based on common sense.

"I have great respect for Viktor Orban's political abilities, and I am confident that he can handle the United States," Tucker Carlson told Mandiner in the interview. He added that PM Orban's image in the US is completely controlled by the US press, which hates him for reasons that have nothing to do with his actions.

In addition to Viktor Orban and Aleksandar Vucic, the US opinion leader also had the opportunity to meet in person with several influential politicians during his visit to Budapest, which he will no doubt report in detail to his audience in the coming days.

On the war in Ukraine and the US's support for it, Carlson pointed out the contradiction that while on the level of rhetoric, the Americans support the Ukrainians in defending their democracy, a real democracy would have a referendum to find out how many people agree with it.

Even in the United States, an increasing number of voices can be heard raising doubts as to whether the Americans should continue this war. According to the latest poll for CNN - not a pro-peace outlet in this period of war - the majority of Americans condemn the war in Ukraine, do not agree with American intervention, and would withdraw support. These are already signs that they are not necessarily happy about this proxy war over there either,

Mr Fekete stressed.

An analysis published by the Economist a few weeks ago, stated that the war in Ukraine is costing American households more than $900 a month. This is especially striking in light of the fact that the victims of the fire that ravaged the city of Lahaina can count on a one-off aid payment of only $700.

Tucker Carlson's opinion on not only the war, but also on David Pressman, the US ambassador in Budapest caused an uproar. I'm ashamed that we sent such an appalling, dull little grey suit like David Pressman here to represent the United States. "He does not represent the United States, believe me,” the commentator told Mandiner in the interview.

"He is, after all, a media personality who can afford to express himself more strongly than necessary," said Rajmund Fekete. "Unfortunately, we see that the current American ambassador is in many instances not working to build the relationship between the two countries, but it is as if he is trying to drive a wedge between them. This is not a surprising turn of events. Think back, the case was similar under the earlier Democratic president, Barack Obama. Then we had a Goodfriend, now we have a Pressman, and we see that they are trying to put some kind of political pressure on us, from our Child Protection Act to all our decisions that the US is unhappy with. Moreover, Hungary still takes a pro-peace stance, while we see that the Democratic administration is pro-war," he pointed out.

While on the political front, the relationship became frosty during the Democratic administration, the Hungarian-American relations remain extremely strong in the fields of economic, defense and military policy, and have withstood the test of time.

"Under the Trump administration, political relations were also excellent. At the time, there was an exceptional American ambassador in the person of David Cornstein, who constantly worked to make relations as good as possible. I believe that if a Republican leadership comes to power in next year's US elections, then these could be normalized," the director of the Communism Research Institute concluded.

Cover photo: American right-wing opinion leader Tucker Carlson (Photo: Zoltan Havran)