Remember the Old Days (Say, 2020)?

Remember the Old Days (Say, 2020)?

From American Diplomat by Ambassador (Retired) Pete Romero and Writer/Producer Laura Bennett

April 23, 2026 · 31 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the political maneuvers of Orban in Hungary and the experiences of running the embassy in Budapest during the Trump administration.

By what dirty tricks exactly did Orban seize control of his country? And how then did his rival Magyar beat him? And between those bookends, we offer a look at what it was like to run the embassy in Budapest under Trump I. Could it be any more different than Trump now? Dave Kostelancik, former Chargé d'Affaires, regales us.

People in this episode

Hosts: Pete Romero, Laura Bennett

Guest: Dave Kostelancik

Topics covered

  • political control
  • diplomacy
  • embassy experience
  • Trump administration
  • Hungary politics

Keywords

  • Orban
  • Hungary
  • Trump
  • embassy
  • politics
  • diplomacy
  • Kostelancik

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Trump

Places: Hungary, Budapest

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