Former US President Donald Trump endorsed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for re-election in a statement shared by spokesperson Liz Harrington on Monday.

"Viktor Orban of Hungary truly loves his country and wants safety for his people," Trump claimed in the statement. "He is a strong leader and respected by all. He has my complete support and endorsement for reelection as Prime Minister!"

Orban has done a "powerful and wonderful job" stopping "illegal immigration" and creating jobs and trade, Trump said.

PM Orban has previously celebrated turning his country into an "illiberal state." He and his party have carried out actions to adhere to enforce their power in the country, such as weakening Hungary's independent and democratic institutions and organizations, rewriting election laws to favor them, changing school textbooks, and undermining the freedom of the press.

Their actions raised concerns in the European Union over Hungary; however, they have caused Orban to become a prominent figure in US conservative circles, with a prominent conservative TV host, Tucker Carlson, saying Hungary was a place "with a lot of lessons for the rest of us."

Even CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference, has been promoting plans for a gathering there in mid-to-late 2022.

There is reciprocal support between Trump and Orban. They two had a meeting in 2019, after which the US president said the Hungarian prime minister was "probably like me, a little bit controversial, but that's okay."

Hungary will be holding parliamentary elections in April 2022. The country holds these elections once every four years.

Orban was Prime Minister in 1998, and his tenure lasted until 2002. He was later re-elected for his position in 2010 and has been serving as Prime Minister since.