Although David Pressman, former US President Joe Biden’s infamous ambassador to Budapest, has left the country, the so-called ‘Pressman orphans’ remain. These include not only individuals but also measures, initiatives, and projects launched during Pressman’s tenure.
On the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration, Index reported that a decision had been made regarding applications for the third round of the Free Media Grant Program, designed to support national and local independent media. By the deadline a total of 42 applications had been submitted: 36 aimed at ‘strengthening and improving the sustainability of local and national independent public media,’ and six focused on ‘media education, training, and journalism education programmes.’
The call for proposals was jointly launched by the Mérték Media Monitor and the Hungarian Environmental Partnership Foundation, with funding provided by the US Embassy in Budapest. The Embassy’s decisions resulted in grants being awarded to 26 applications across the two categories, distributing a total of 173,178,230 HUF (approximately 400,000 USD) among the winning projects.
Recipients of the grant include several well-known anti-government media outlets, aligned with the Hungarian opposition but posing as independent press. Among the grantees, 444 received more than 8 million HUF (over 20,000 USD), Átlátszó 10 million HUF approximately 25,000 USD), Jelen 7 million HUF (around 18,000 USD), and both Magyar Hang and Klubrádió were awarded 10 million HUF each in Category A. In Category B, which supports media education and journalism training, Transparency International’s Hungarian foundation—one of the most prominent organizations within the Soros network—received more than 7 million HUF.
‘Grant recipients include several well-known anti-government media outlets, aligned with the Hungarian opposition but posing as independent press’
It is evident that despite the fall of the Democratic administration in the United States and the departure of David Pressman from Hungary the effects of their activities and attacks on sovereignty continue to linger.
This is neither the first nor the largest US operation aimed at bolstering opposition forces and attempting to challenge Hungary’s democratically elected government. During the 2022 parliamentary election—where Viktor Orbán’s party secured a two-thirds majority—US-based Action for Democracy allocated a total of 3 billion HUF (approximately 7.5 million USD) to Hungarian NGOs and companies linked to the opposition, and to opposition prime ministerial candidate Péter Márki-Zay’s Everybody’s Hungary Movement (MMM).
An intelligence investigation was launched into the case, uncovering detailed information on how these US funds were distributed and the mechanisms behind their allocation.
Furthermore, the distribution of funds to local Hungarian actors, similar to those in the aforementioned tenders, has become almost routine. In January 2024 nearly 115 million HUF (around 300,000 USD) in embassy funding was disbursed to opposition-aligned media outlets, including 444, Magyar Hang, Átlátszó, Telex, Jelen, and Klubrádió, all of which are frequent recipients of such support.
Last year, significant media attention was drawn to David Pressman’s meetings with prominent opposition politicians, accompanied by Republican and Democratic senators visiting Hungary. These meetings were followed by discussions with Hungarian NGOs, many of which are associated with the Soros network.
However, the Democrats’ interference in Hungary’s domestic affairs is coming to an end. Following Donald Trump’s inauguration, Hungary now has a patriotic, sovereigntist ally leading the Western world.
One of Trump’s first actions as president was to order a comprehensive review of US foreign aid spending. This not only encompasses the billions of dollars in military and financial assistance provided to Ukraine but also initiatives like the aforementioned grants and programmes.
With Trump’s America First policy, we may finally say goodbye to these Pressman-like infiltrators—at least for the next four years.
Bryan Leib, a potential successor to David Pressman, also reacted to the news, stating that the funds allocated to Hungarian opposition media would be far better spent addressing domestic issues in the United States, such as supporting families affected by the California wildfires.
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