Orbán’s dinner interrupted: When Trump “stormed” the Hungarian PM’s kitchen
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has had many high-stakes political meetings in his career, but few were quite as unusual as “that one” chat with Donald Trump – a conversation that apparently took place right in the middle of his dinner.
Speaking in Debrecen this weekend at a gathering of the Cívisváros Digital Civic Circle, Orbán shared the curious story of how the U.S. president “stormed” his Cinege Street kitchen with a late-night phone call, Telex writes.
“I was unsuspectingly having dinner with my wife when the President of the United States suddenly invaded our kitchen – by phone,” Orbán told his audience, with a touch of drama.
The topic? Not recipes or paprika, but whether Hungary should break away from Russian oil and gas.
Lecsó diplomacy
According to Orbán, he firmly defended Hungary’s national interests during the call. Having successfully convinced Trump not to hold Hungary accountable for its heavy reliance on Russian energy, he was then able to return to more pressing matters: finishing his lecsó in peace.
“We stood by Hungary’s national interests, as we should,” he said, assuring listeners that after the call, both his dinner and his night’s sleep were saved.
In other words, international energy policy may come and go, but Hungarian comfort food waits for no one.
Campaign trail, kitchen table
The PM’s anecdote goes to show how relentless politics can be: sometimes, he doesn’t even get through a meal without a global leader dropping in, virtually, of course.
On social media, Orbán shared a clip from his speech, where he stood on a chair, gesturing with gusto as he relived the phone-call-meets-dinnertime drama.
What was actually said?
The details of the call remain fuzzy. We don’t know whether Trump, known for his own unconventional dining habits, gave any culinary advice, or whether the conversation was strictly limited to geopolitics. What Orbán did make clear is that there will be more such “kitchen invasions” in the future – not from family or friends, but from political allies and opponents alike.
For now, one thing is certain: Hungary’s gas taps are staying open, Orbán’s lecsó is safe, and the Prime Minister has one more unusual political memory to add to his collection.