Melania Trump was spotted with her husband Donald on Friday evening for a formal dinner at Mar-a-Lago, where the former president hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
It was a rare appearance from the former first lady who wore all-white pants during the glitzy affair.
She was hardly seen at her husband’s side during the 2024 election campaign.
Orbán posted on his Instagram account images of him and his staff meeting with Trump and the former president’s staff, and then of the prime minister walking through the complex and presenting Melania Trump with a giant bouquet of flowers.
In the video, Trump praised Orbán in front of a laughing crowd.
‘He’s a non-controversial figure because he says, ‘This is the way it’s going to be,’ and that’s the end of it. Right?’ Trump said about the Hungarian Prime Minister. “He’s the boss.”
Melania Trump was spotted with her husband Donald on Friday evening for a formal dinner at Mar-a-Lago, where the former president hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán
Melania was seen in an all-white pantsuit as she dutifully followed her husband into the room
On Friday evening, both Melania and Donald received an enthusiastic welcome as they walked into the grand ballroom of the beach complex.
The former president reached out to shake hands with some of his supporters as his wife walked close behind him and at one point smiled.
Trump, as the likely Republican presidential nominee, has continued his embrace of autocratic leaders who are part of a global pushback against democratic traditions.
Orbán has become an icon for some conservative populists for championing what he calls “illiberal democracy,” full of restrictions on immigration and LGBTQ+ rights.
He has also cracked down on his country’s press and judiciary and reformed the country’s political system to keep his party in power while maintaining the closest ties with Russia of any European Union country.
In the US, Trump’s allies have embraced Orbán’s approach.
On Thursday, as foreign dignitaries toured Washington, D.C., ahead of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, Orbán skipped the White House and instead spoke at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank overseeing the 2025 project, about the effort to create a government blueprint for Trump’s next term.
‘Supporting families, combating illegal migration and standing up for the sovereignty of our nations. This is the common ground for cooperation between the conservative forces of Europe and the US,” Orbán wrote on X, formerly Twitter, after his Heritage appearance.
The couple entered to cheers and applause as they walked through the Mar-a-Lago ballroom
Those in attendance took out their phones to take a photo of the couple. Trump could be seen shaking hands with supporters
Trump’s supporters seemed happy to see the couple walking in together
At one point, the former first lady appeared to be almost smiling as she observed the crowd
Former President Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban pose for photos at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday evening
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán during their meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida
Trump and Orbán are talking during their meeting at Mar-a-Lago on Friday
The meeting between Trump and Orbán comes as the former president has continued to embrace authoritarians of all ideological backgrounds.
Orbán then flew to Florida, where he met Trump at Mar-a-Lago late Friday afternoon.
Orbán’s approach appeals to Trump’s breed of conservatives, who have abandoned their embrace of limited government and free markets for a system that sides with their own ideology, said Dalibor Rohac, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
“They want to use the tools of government to reward their friends and punish their opponents, which is what Orbán has done,” Rohac said.
The meeting also comes at a time when Trump has continued to embrace authoritarians of all ideological backgrounds.
In the past, Trump has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
Orbán’s government has responded, repeatedly praising the former president.
