CPAC to celebrate Putin-loving strongman at Hungary confab: report

On Wednesday, NPR reported that the American Conservative Union, a prominent GOP lobby group, is about to travel to Hungary to hold a Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) event in the domain of an authoritarian strongman who supports Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Viktor Orban, the report noted, has "clamped down on democratic institutions and targeted minority groups" — and is set to give the keynote speech.

Moreover, according to a Reuters report from when the event was initially confirmed, Orban is "a longtime supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin" and "the European Union has accused Orban, who won re-election by a large margin... of curbing media and judicial independence, enriching associates with public funds and recasting election laws to entrench his power."

Making matters worse, Orban has resisted EU efforts to embargo Russia during the invasion of Ukraine, demanding that Hungary be carved out of any restrictions on importing Russian oil.

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Former President Donald Trump himself has praised Orban. Meanwhile, Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, who has frequently been accused of laundering white supremacist propaganda to a mainstream audience, traveled to Hungary and has defended Orban's authoritarian regime.

CPAC is an important gathering for the American right, with prominent Republican politicians and right-wing media figures frequently in attendance.