U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman attacked the Hungarian government during a contentious speech at a Soros-funded university, just as the State Department prepares another deluge of dollars for anti-government media in Hungary.
On March 14, Ambassador Pressman attended an event hosted by Central European University (CEU) where he attacked the NATO ally with whom it is his job to negotiate. Soros had funneled at least $1,058,676,021 to CEU’s coffers between 2016 and 2022 alone and founded the university himself. Pressman took issue with several Hungarian measures to combat foreign influence. These included Hungary’s “Defense of Sovereignty Act” and the Hungarian government’s struggle against the enormous influence of Soros’ Open Society Foundations and CEU.
During his speech, Pressman launched into a shameless diatribe against the Hungarian government, accusing the country’s officials of equating “independence” with “opposition.” Outrageously, the Department of State has recently funneled money to leftist media outlets handpicked by Soros-funded organizations. “Independent media in Hungary gets labeled opposition media. Independent non-governmental organizations get labeled political partisans,” the ambassador claimed.
Pressman’s claims come against the backdrop of the Soros-funded Ökotárs Foundation and media watchdog Mérték Media Monitor preparing a second round of taxpayer-funded grants to Hungarian media outlets. This round of the infamous grant program had a Feb. 29 deadline. Like Pressman, these Soros-funded organizations use the phrase “independent media” to describe the leftist media outlets they choose to shower money on.
While the new recipients have not been announced, Ökotárs Foundation and Mérték Media Monitor have a troubling record. Earlier this year, these same two organizations gave $320,000 in taxpayer dollars to 15 anti-government media outlets in Hungary. At least five of these media outlets had also specifically taken money from Soros. Notably, the Ökotárs Foundation indicates that this will not be the final round, as these two organizations will be handling applications until Aug. 31.
Earlier in his speech, Pressman gushed over his host declaring that CEU was full of “the best and brightest students, studying at the preeminent university in all of Central Europe.” Pressman lamented CEU’s move from Hungary to Vienna without mentioning Soros.
“While I won’t spend much time on the saga of what the Hungarian government put this university through, over the objections of the previous U.S. Administration,” Pressman said, neatly sidestepping the leftist billionaire founder, “I think it is fitting to mention because it epitomizes the sacrifice of something great in exchange for – honestly, it is hard for me to understand. In exchange for political points? For talking points? Whatever was gained, it is clear that Hungary lost when it lost these promising students.”
Conservatives are under attack! Contact ABC News at (818) 460-7477, CBS News at (212) 975-3247 and NBC News at (212) 664-6192 and demand they report on the State Department letting Soros-funded groups award taxpayer dollars abroad.
