May 20, 2024

Look who's got a crush on far-right authoritarian Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. There are things the United States should learn from Hungary, like not following the same path they have with putting someone like Orban in power, but not this nonsense.

Here's Vance doubling down on his praise for Orban during an interview on this Sunday's Face the Nation:

MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask you about some of the things you've said about American universities. I know you've been very critical of them.

You gave an interview in February. You said: "The closest conservatives have ever gotten to successfully dealing with the left-wing domination of universities is Viktor Orban's approach in Hungary. I think his way has to be the model for us, not to eliminate universities, but to give the choice between survival or taking a much less biased approach to teaching."

He seized control of state universities and put them in foundations that were then run by his allies. Is that what you're advocating be done in the United States?

SENATOR J.D. VANCE: Well, Margaret, what you're seeing in the United States actually is that universities are controlled by left-wing foundations. They're not controlled by the American taxpayer.

And yet the American taxpayer is sending hundreds of billions of dollars to these universities every single year.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I don't want taxpayers controlling education necessarily.

SENATOR J.D. VANCE: I – I…

MARGARET BRENNAN: Is that what you're advocating for, federal government control?

SENATOR J.D. VANCE: Margaret, what I'm advocating for is for taxpayers to have a say in how their money is spent. Universities are part of a social contract in this country. They educate our children. They produce important intellectual property. They get a lot of money because of it.

But if they're not educating our children well, and they're layering the next generation down in mountains of student debt, then they're not meeting their end of the bargain. I think it's totally reasonable to say there needs to be a political solution to that problem.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, America's universities still attract talent from around the world, as you went to one of America's very top schools. But – but…

SENATOR J.D. VANCE: Look, there's still good things about American universities, but it's going in the wrong direction, Margaret.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But so – but Viktor Orban, in particular, as you know, I mean, he – he rewrote the constitution. He neutered the courts. He has tried to control the media.

These are not necessarily conservative principles. So why would you want to mimic him?

SENATOR J.D. VANCE: Well, look, I'm not endorsing every single thing that Viktor Orban has ever done. I don't know everything he's ever done.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.

SENATOR J.D. VANCE: What I do think is, on the university – on the university principle, the idea that taxpayers should have some influence in how their money is spent on these universities, it's a totally reasonable thing.

And I do think that he's made some smart decisions there that we could – we could learn from in the United States.

Vance was one of the clowns outside of the courtroom last week helping Trump violate the gag order and attacking the judge's daughter. There is no bottom with these Trump suck-ups who are hoping to be his vice president.

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