A meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbánally of the Russian president Vladimir Putinraises questions and concerns.
Earlier this week, Trump Jr., the son of former President Donald Trump, visited Hungary, a member of the North American Treaty Organization.NATO), to meet Orbán in Budapest, the national capital.
“We had a great meeting today with @DonaldTrumpJr in Budapest. We discussed how we can make Hungary-US relations great again, as they were under @’s presidency realDonaldTrump,” Orbán wrote in a message on X, formerly Twittersharing a photo of him and Trump Jr.
The meeting takes place in the middle increased tensions between Russia and the United States on Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine. President Joe BidenThe Russian administration recently approved sending weapons to Ukraine for use against Russia in its war. Putin has criticized the United States and other Western countries throughout the war, and a flotilla of Russian warships recently arrived near Cuba, off the coast of Florida.
Following the meeting, the Independent published an article questioning the meeting and legal experts raised concerns about a potential violation of the Logan Act.
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“There is an interesting legal question in the United States about whether private citizens can attempt to influence American foreign policy by negotiating with foreign countries,” said Kim Scheppele, professor of sociology and international affairs at the University of Washington. Princeton Universitysaid the Independent. “The Logan Act makes this illegal.”
According to Brittanica, the Logan Act was signed into law by Congress in 1799 and prohibited American citizens from participating in unauthorized meetings and correspondence with foreign officials and governments.
“Any citizen of the United States, wherever located, who, without the authorization of the United States, directly or indirectly enters into or maintains any correspondence or dealings with any foreign government or any of its officials or agents, connection with disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.” , the law says, according to Brittanica.
Former federal prosecutor Michael McAuliffe said News week Friday, that “the Logan Act constitutes a largely untested ban against private U.S. citizens who attempt to influence U.S. foreign policy.” While Donald Trump Jr.’s action in meeting with Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian Prime Minister, and addressing political and economic issues at several conferences, may technically implicate the Logan Act, its actual application is very unlikely. »
“For Trump’s opponents, his son’s contacts with foreign strongmen simply fuel the argument that Trump plans, if elected, to emulate undemocratic and authoritarian leaders in other parts of the world. “Trump supporters, the foreign leader’s contacts show that the Trump family is a geopolitical force,” McAuliffe said.
According to McAuliffe, the Trump family’s contacts with Hungarian leaders are similar to “other divisive measures taken by the family.”
“However, charges or further legal action against them simply will not occur,” McAuliffe said.
Since the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, Orbán has been one of the few NATO leaders to sympathize with Putin. The Hungarian leader has also consistently opposed aid to Ukraine from the European Unionand he spoke out against Ukraine’s membership in NATO.
News week stretched out his hand to Donald Trump Jr. via a spokesperson for former President Trump via email for comment. News week also contacted the Hungarian Foreign Ministry by email for comment.