Senior US diplomat Robert Palladino will succeed David Pressman as the head of the US Embassy in Budapest—at least temporarily. The news was announced by the embassy in a statement on Tuesday afternoon, according to which Palladino will assume leadership as Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim, effective 7 March.
‘Mr Palladino will lead Embassy Budapest’s engagement with the Hungarian government and people on behalf of the Trump Administration and the Secretary of State, pending the nomination of a new US Ambassador by the President, Senate confirmation, and the Ambassador’s arrival in Budapest. In this role, he will strengthen the United States–Hungary relationship and advance policies that promote America’s security, sovereignty, and prosperity,’ the statement reads.
A Seasoned Diplomat
According to the statement, Palladino has had an extensive career spanning Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Most recently, he served as Deputy Executive Secretary in the Office of the Secretary of State, directly supporting the Secretary as part of the senior management team. He has led overseas missions, including serving as US Consul General to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
During President Trump’s first term, Palladino played a key role in shaping US foreign policy as Chief of Staff to then-Deputy Secretary of State Stephen E Biegun, Deputy Spokesperson for the Department of State, and Director of Strategic Communications and Acting Spokesperson for the National Security Council at the White House. In that capacity, he worked closely with then-Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Michael Anton and then-White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
‘During President Trump’s first term, Palladino played a key role in shaping US foreign policy’
Earlier in his career, Palladino served in diplomatic postings across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Before joining the Department of State, he was an officer in the US Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG), practising law in Asia and Europe. He holds degrees from the University of Notre Dame, Washington & Lee University School of Law, and the US Army War College. He speaks Mandarin, Chinese, and Italian and is married with two daughters.
Pressman’s Destructive Legacy
Former US Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman departed from Budapest in January, before the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, leaving behind a legacy that severely damaged Hungary–US relations, making their restoration significantly difficult. During his tenure, Washington unilaterally terminated the double taxation treaty between the two countries, in place since 1979, causing severe consequences for private individuals, businesses, and the Hungarian state.
Under Pressman, the US Embassy in Budapest played a key role in allocating US funding to Hungarian opposition and government-critical media, with the final tranche of American taxpayers’ money symbolically arriving at these so-called ‘independent’ outlets on the day of Trump’s inauguration. The president and US billionaire Elon Musk, who co-chairs the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), later exposed the globalist network of NGOs and media organizations interfering in foreign countries, promoting a progressive agenda, and undermining governments that refuse to cooperate.
In the very last days of his mandate, Pressman announced sanctions against Antal Rogán, Chief of Staff to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, further complicating efforts to normalize relations.
The embassy’s announcement coincides with Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó’s visit to Washington, where he is scheduled to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the first time since 20 January. According to Szijjártó, the discussion will focus specifically on the Biden administration’s decisions, which he described as a ‘political vendetta’, and their negative impact on Hungary.
The Race Is Still on
However, the identity of Pressman’s permanent successor remains unclear. Speculation began as early as November 2024, when an anonymous source told Hungarian Conservative that three candidates were in the running. Two of them—Nancy Brinker and David Cornstein—have previously served as US ambassadors to Hungary, while the third is a newcomer, Bryan E Leib, who has gained recognition for his efforts to counter Pressman’s activities over the past two years.
Leib, a visiting fellow at the Budapest-based think tank Center for Fundamental Rights, has recently concluded a visit to Hungary, where he met with several government officials, including Deputy Foreign Minister and State Secretary Levente Magyar and András László, who was recently appointed to lead the investigation into US Agency for International Development (USAID) funding channelled to the Hungarian opposition.
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