What Trump’s second term could mean for U.S. diplomacy

Trump's second term could realign U.S. diplomacy more toward populist, authoritarian politicians, according to both those leaders and outside observers.

Hungary’s fiery, right-wing leader says Donald Trump’s victory will help his own battle against immigration and multiculturalism and restore traditional family values.

In Argentina, a president who once bear-hugged Trump at a political conference in Maryland is attacking his critics as rats and parasites, ranting against what he calls a corrupt elite and calling climate change “a socialist lie.”

Trump’s second term could realign U.S. diplomacy away from traditional international alliances and more toward populist, authoritarian politicians, according to both those leaders and outside observers.

Two days before Tuesday’s election, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán made a daring prediction.

“Donald Trump will be president again, and that means by the end of the year, pro-peace political forces will be in the majority in the West,” Orbán told state radio.

Orbán has been accused by the European Union of burying Hungary’s democracy by dominating media and building a network of loyal oligarchs. He has worried foreign leaders by drawing closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

What Orbán calls “illiberal democracy” has stigmatized civil-society organizations and cracked down on LGBTQ+ rights. It favors retaining power even if that means contravening traditional Hungarian allies’ interests.

Trump has avoided publicly criticizing Putin and has consistently spoken warmly about him.