And to think that Trump2 and MAGA were openly gloating about their plans to Orbanize the United States. They weren't even bothering to keep it secret. Even with the Ellisons and Murdoch and others expanding RW media capture.
But Prof. Scheppele is an absolute rock star! She journeyed in the wilderness for twenty years trying to warn us about the dangers of Orbanization--and has now been fully vindicated! An inspiration to everyone to never give up on what is true and good.
Yes, Hitler and the boys were obsessed with the occult and scoured Europe for relics. The big takeaway is Trump's trying to pull off an 'Orban' right under our noses with executive orders and the so-called Save America Act.
Gerrymandering, voter suppression, fight against mail-in ballots and stacking local election boards with loyalists beg the question will we have free and fair elections again?
Especially when reality--or anyone powerful--keeps saying NO to him. He then can't himself from lashing out. This week he even called the Pope--the Pope!--a loser.
Interesting, UFO sightings and the persons involved have been methodically discredited and ridiculed for decades. We have been conditioned to think that’s reasonable. The correct response to this right now is: Epstein, Epstein, Epstein.
A flood of thoughts but two stand out: first is the terrible job that our news media did reporting on Orban. Where was the Times? Where was WaPo? Where were AP and Reuters? Yeah, everybody talked about what a putz Orban was but none of them reported the mechanics of stealing a country at the very damn moment when when our own country is half in a burgler's bag. Shame.
Second is that the EU has a problem here. NATO too. Both have been quick to admit countries that are still damp with the rain of communist rule. Hungary impeded the EU's ability to aid Ukraine at a pivotal time. Hungary was a cellar door through which information flowed to and from Putin's Russia. I don't know how they can fix this going forward but it needs to be addressed.
From a Canadian perspective, the American “legacy” media, as well as all the billionaire bought media, has done a pathetic job of revealing the evil and indecency of the Trump Crime Family, as far back as 2015, and again in 2024. Here in Canada, we are watching Pierre Polievre Like a Hawk because he wants to defund our legacy cbc media. Beware the evil motivation in the political party that controls the media and buys off independant journalists!
Paul, I cannot emphasize enough how much I loved this interview with Professor Kim Lane Scheppele. Thank you so much for sharing it! There was so much information, and I was fascinated to learn about your role in the magical electoral changes in Hungary by publishing Kim’s investigations and analysis on your blog. Kudos to both of you! :)
I would also like to commend the EU Parliament. While it can be petty at times, it is very rigorous when it comes to state anti-corruption standards. Even though the UK is no longer in the EU, its MI6 is still incredibly powerful in assisting the EU, and is known for its detailed and persistent international secret service procedures. I recently heard British Prime Minister Kramer hinting at the importance of MI6 to the Trump administration, which seemed like a subtle warning!
One last takeaway from this magnificent interview: nothing brings about real change quite like an acrimonious divorce, right? As Connie Francis beautifully sang in "Who's Sorry Now?"
Beautiful and insightful interview. Congratulations to Hungary and Europe for getting rid of another Russian puppet. I hope we can celebrate similarly in the USA soon.
If I may borrow one of Paul's favorite exclamations, "Wow". Like him, too, I was following the Hungarian election closely and "reading the news reporting obsessively," but, now, thanks to Kim Lane Scheppele, for the first time I think I understand how it worked and what happened so that Magyar could break through. The lessons for the USA are evident: they will be taken on board. Thank you both so very much.
This is an important interview. Enlightening, and inspiring. And the nuances are not what most people in the U.S. would assume or expect. Thank you for this, Paul, and all you have done over the years to promote the work and writing of Kim Lane Scheppele.
The details of how the Hungarian election was rigged but overcome was fascinating. The information about the structural challenges awaiting are even more fascinating. It explains why Orbán was so “gracious” in conceding the election. The traps are laid. The other key take away for me is the We The People power and the joy that is felt when people band together in public to voice their concerns. The rallies here have had that effect. People are so comforted to know they are not alone in smelling the foul air of this regime. It isn’t just the rumpT, it is the structural pieces that have been put into place and are being strengthened to secure the future of the rich and powerful in our country. I am reading Without Precedent by Lisa Graves. The subtitle is “ How Justice Roberts and his accomplices rewrote the constitution and dismantled our rights”. It is an important read for understanding the long arc of the powerful to grab hold of the reigns of power.
Paul, a real public service to provide this column and your Substack posts in general. And thank you very much as well, Kim Lane Scheppele. I hope that prior administrations, at least, consulted you frequently about Hungary. The US reporting on Hungary has been abysmal - I see that clearly now. JD Vance has sold his soul to the devil - multiple times. (Nothing left to give.) Paul, you did the right thing, for yourself and for the public, leaving the constraints of the NY Times & being free to report as you have. The spirit of democracy may be ailing in the USA, but it's alive and well, it seems, in Hungary. A puzzle: why does Trump like some autocrats (Orban, Kim Jong-un) but not others (the Ayatollah, Maduro)? He likes the ones who flatter him and dislike the ones who ridicule him? Yup, we've got a simpleton in the White House.
The entire premise of this war with Iran is ridiculous. And who is trump to say that Iran should never be allowed to have an atomic bomb? Countries all over the world have atomic bombs. North Koreans Kim Jong nut-ball, the man that trump said he “fell in love with” has about 60 nuclear weapons. Can you imagine what people would say if Joe Biden had said that he "fell in love"with the dictator from north korea? He would be eviscerated. But for trump this is normal speaking behavior. And let's not forget that five years ago, trump led a violent insurrection at our nation's capital.He told his supporters to go there and "fight like hell, or they wouldn't have a country any more". His supporters attacked the Capitol, attacked the police protecting the capitol, got into the capitol and carried confederate flags, And were shouting things like "Hang Mike Pence", because the vice president wouldn't agree to trump's demand that he decertified the true election results. Trump watched all the violence on tv and DID NOTHING. to intervene. Many police officers that help defend the capitol later committed suicide, because they were so traumatized by this ugly and horrible event. Trump is full of s**t, and is a crazy, demented, mean-spirited old man. And he's getting worse by the day. His next birthday he will be 80, and his declining cognitive health we'll be more and more obvious to everyone that listens to him. He gets his words mixed up and often he can't even pronounce things, let alone utter sentences that make sense. And it serves the American people right, in some ways, because they voted for this idiot maniac, Trump! TWICE! Trump said he would put an end to foreign wars and lower the cost of living for Americans. Instead, he he bombs, Iran. Even though they posed no imminent threat. and as a result of the war that trump started, the American consumer is paying much more money for gasoline, for housing, for transportation, for health care,and many other things. Trump is a clear and present danger to the United States and to the entire world. Quite frankly, I am ashamed to be an American citizen. It will take many years to undo the damage that Mitch McConnell and donald trump have done to the United States reputation, and its place in the world. This corrupt and idiotic Trump administration cannot end soon enough! Sincerely, David Morris who was born long ago in Fort Wayne Indiana.
Really lifted my spirits this week, the Hungary result 🇭🇺🫶
Meanwhile, in the land of distractions, 47 is promising interesting UFO news and JDV is “obsessed” with space alien demons.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-review-ufo-files-found-interesting-documents-rcna333389
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/30/jd-vance-alien-ufo-are-demons
Astonishing story! Prof Lane Scheppele took a very complicated situation and made it gripping and understandable.
And to think that Trump2 and MAGA were openly gloating about their plans to Orbanize the United States. They weren't even bothering to keep it secret. Even with the Ellisons and Murdoch and others expanding RW media capture.
But Prof. Scheppele is an absolute rock star! She journeyed in the wilderness for twenty years trying to warn us about the dangers of Orbanization--and has now been fully vindicated! An inspiration to everyone to never give up on what is true and good.
Yes, Hitler and the boys were obsessed with the occult and scoured Europe for relics. The big takeaway is Trump's trying to pull off an 'Orban' right under our noses with executive orders and the so-called Save America Act.
Gerrymandering, voter suppression, fight against mail-in ballots and stacking local election boards with loyalists beg the question will we have free and fair elections again?
Let's hope Trump keeps offending as many people as possible. Angry voters vote and will take a massive turnout to overcome the roadblocks.
Especially when reality--or anyone powerful--keeps saying NO to him. He then can't himself from lashing out. This week he even called the Pope--the Pope!--a loser.
NPD: Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Chakotay's best line!
Just look away from Epstein!
Ffs they're really scraping the barrel for distraction now.
👍 UFOs are very shiny…
Interesting, UFO sightings and the persons involved have been methodically discredited and ridiculed for decades. We have been conditioned to think that’s reasonable. The correct response to this right now is: Epstein, Epstein, Epstein.
Thanks to Paul Krugman for sharing this! Never forget what democracy can be, as Lisa Lane Scheppele has said!
A flood of thoughts but two stand out: first is the terrible job that our news media did reporting on Orban. Where was the Times? Where was WaPo? Where were AP and Reuters? Yeah, everybody talked about what a putz Orban was but none of them reported the mechanics of stealing a country at the very damn moment when when our own country is half in a burgler's bag. Shame.
Second is that the EU has a problem here. NATO too. Both have been quick to admit countries that are still damp with the rain of communist rule. Hungary impeded the EU's ability to aid Ukraine at a pivotal time. Hungary was a cellar door through which information flowed to and from Putin's Russia. I don't know how they can fix this going forward but it needs to be addressed.
From a Canadian perspective, the American “legacy” media, as well as all the billionaire bought media, has done a pathetic job of revealing the evil and indecency of the Trump Crime Family, as far back as 2015, and again in 2024. Here in Canada, we are watching Pierre Polievre Like a Hawk because he wants to defund our legacy cbc media. Beware the evil motivation in the political party that controls the media and buys off independant journalists!
Thanks to Kim Lane Scheppele & Paul. Great to get this background.
Regards, Anthony
Paul, I cannot emphasize enough how much I loved this interview with Professor Kim Lane Scheppele. Thank you so much for sharing it! There was so much information, and I was fascinated to learn about your role in the magical electoral changes in Hungary by publishing Kim’s investigations and analysis on your blog. Kudos to both of you! :)
I would also like to commend the EU Parliament. While it can be petty at times, it is very rigorous when it comes to state anti-corruption standards. Even though the UK is no longer in the EU, its MI6 is still incredibly powerful in assisting the EU, and is known for its detailed and persistent international secret service procedures. I recently heard British Prime Minister Kramer hinting at the importance of MI6 to the Trump administration, which seemed like a subtle warning!
One last takeaway from this magnificent interview: nothing brings about real change quite like an acrimonious divorce, right? As Connie Francis beautifully sang in "Who's Sorry Now?"
This was a gripping interview, and very important. Thank you both for such an enlightening interview.
Beautiful and insightful interview. Congratulations to Hungary and Europe for getting rid of another Russian puppet. I hope we can celebrate similarly in the USA soon.
If I may borrow one of Paul's favorite exclamations, "Wow". Like him, too, I was following the Hungarian election closely and "reading the news reporting obsessively," but, now, thanks to Kim Lane Scheppele, for the first time I think I understand how it worked and what happened so that Magyar could break through. The lessons for the USA are evident: they will be taken on board. Thank you both so very much.
This is an important interview. Enlightening, and inspiring. And the nuances are not what most people in the U.S. would assume or expect. Thank you for this, Paul, and all you have done over the years to promote the work and writing of Kim Lane Scheppele.
This is such great info! Thank you both!
Extraordinary interview! Thank you so much for telling the backstory and details of Hungary's turn away from autocracy.
The details of how the Hungarian election was rigged but overcome was fascinating. The information about the structural challenges awaiting are even more fascinating. It explains why Orbán was so “gracious” in conceding the election. The traps are laid. The other key take away for me is the We The People power and the joy that is felt when people band together in public to voice their concerns. The rallies here have had that effect. People are so comforted to know they are not alone in smelling the foul air of this regime. It isn’t just the rumpT, it is the structural pieces that have been put into place and are being strengthened to secure the future of the rich and powerful in our country. I am reading Without Precedent by Lisa Graves. The subtitle is “ How Justice Roberts and his accomplices rewrote the constitution and dismantled our rights”. It is an important read for understanding the long arc of the powerful to grab hold of the reigns of power.
Trump wouldn’t be able to do so much damage with a conservative majority on the Court.
This interview is a master class in the Hungarian election. Incredibly informative and illuminating. Thank you
Paul, a real public service to provide this column and your Substack posts in general. And thank you very much as well, Kim Lane Scheppele. I hope that prior administrations, at least, consulted you frequently about Hungary. The US reporting on Hungary has been abysmal - I see that clearly now. JD Vance has sold his soul to the devil - multiple times. (Nothing left to give.) Paul, you did the right thing, for yourself and for the public, leaving the constraints of the NY Times & being free to report as you have. The spirit of democracy may be ailing in the USA, but it's alive and well, it seems, in Hungary. A puzzle: why does Trump like some autocrats (Orban, Kim Jong-un) but not others (the Ayatollah, Maduro)? He likes the ones who flatter him and dislike the ones who ridicule him? Yup, we've got a simpleton in the White House.
Trump likes anyone who will work with him. In the case of Putin, he’s only pretending, he’s actually helping Iran. But Trump won’t admit it.
FYI, it’s a dazzle of zebra! Very happy and hopeful for Hungary. My grandparents immigrated from Hungary to Canada so I’m half Hungarian :)
This is an extraordinary dive into the weeds of the Orbán - Magyar saga. Many hopes for the future of Hungary. Fingers crossed.
Here's to hoping Magyar comes to all the fly-over states of Merika and stumps for a right-center democrat...Mark Kelly.
The entire premise of this war with Iran is ridiculous. And who is trump to say that Iran should never be allowed to have an atomic bomb? Countries all over the world have atomic bombs. North Koreans Kim Jong nut-ball, the man that trump said he “fell in love with” has about 60 nuclear weapons. Can you imagine what people would say if Joe Biden had said that he "fell in love"with the dictator from north korea? He would be eviscerated. But for trump this is normal speaking behavior. And let's not forget that five years ago, trump led a violent insurrection at our nation's capital.He told his supporters to go there and "fight like hell, or they wouldn't have a country any more". His supporters attacked the Capitol, attacked the police protecting the capitol, got into the capitol and carried confederate flags, And were shouting things like "Hang Mike Pence", because the vice president wouldn't agree to trump's demand that he decertified the true election results. Trump watched all the violence on tv and DID NOTHING. to intervene. Many police officers that help defend the capitol later committed suicide, because they were so traumatized by this ugly and horrible event. Trump is full of s**t, and is a crazy, demented, mean-spirited old man. And he's getting worse by the day. His next birthday he will be 80, and his declining cognitive health we'll be more and more obvious to everyone that listens to him. He gets his words mixed up and often he can't even pronounce things, let alone utter sentences that make sense. And it serves the American people right, in some ways, because they voted for this idiot maniac, Trump! TWICE! Trump said he would put an end to foreign wars and lower the cost of living for Americans. Instead, he he bombs, Iran. Even though they posed no imminent threat. and as a result of the war that trump started, the American consumer is paying much more money for gasoline, for housing, for transportation, for health care,and many other things. Trump is a clear and present danger to the United States and to the entire world. Quite frankly, I am ashamed to be an American citizen. It will take many years to undo the damage that Mitch McConnell and donald trump have done to the United States reputation, and its place in the world. This corrupt and idiotic Trump administration cannot end soon enough! Sincerely, David Morris who was born long ago in Fort Wayne Indiana.