April 12, 2026

⭐How Do You Say “Wowza” in Hungarian? Justin Spike & Sam McNeil of the AP: “Hungarian voters on Sunday ousted long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power, rejecting the authoritarian policies and global far-right movement that he embodied in favor of a pro-European challenger in a bombshell election result with global repercussions. Election victor Péter Magyar, a former Orbán loyalist who campaigned against corruption and on everyday issues like health care and public transport, has pledged to rebuild Hungary’s relationships with the European Union and NATO — ties that frayed under Orbán. European leaders quickly congratulated Magyar. It’s not yet clear whether Magyar’s Tisza party will have the two-thirds majority in parliament to govern without a coalition. With 77% of the vote counted, it had more than 53% support to 38% for Orbán’s governing Fidesz party.” ~~~

     ~~~ Andrew Higgins & Lili Rutai of the New York Times: “Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, a lodestar for MAGA culture warriors and right-wing populists in Europe, conceded defeat on Sunday in a general election, breaking the momentum of a global nationalist revival promoted by ... [Donald] Trump. Speaking to supporters Sunday evening in Budapest, Mr. Orban said the 'election results, although not complete, are understandable and clear. They are painful for us but unequivocal.' He congratulated the opposition in a surprisingly early and gracious concession speech....” ~~~

     ~~~ As RAS points out in today's Comments, Orban's loss is a tribute to Trump's endorsement. And extra thanks to JayDee, too. Maybe a few Republicans will quit bending the knee to Trump when they realize his support is not only unnecessary, but could be the kiss of death to any viable campaign. 

Pooja Salhotra of the New York Times: “The Trump administration has terminated all six board members of the federal agency that oversees the Presidio, a beloved San Francisco national park that sits at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. The board members, all of whom were appointed by President Joseph R. Biden Jr., were fired on Wednesday, and new members have not been installed, Lisa Petrie, a spokeswoman for the agency, the Presidio Trust, said in an email on Saturday.... In February 2025..., [Donald] Trump issued an executive order calling the Presidio Trust an 'unnecessary governmental entity' that should be 'dramatically' shrunk. That order also targeted three other agencies — the Inter-American Foundation, the United States African Development Foundation and the United States Institute of Peace — that the administration has already taken steps to dismantle.... Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker of the House, played a central role in the creation of the [Presidio T]rust, and the park is in her district. She told The San Francisco Chronicle, which first reported the terminations, that she was 'disappointed' with the firings and said that the Presidio would 'continue to be protected by the strength of the legislation which created it.'” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Trump was probably afraid the Biden-appointed board would erect a statue of Pelosi in the park. Perhaps someday that will happen. 

Daniel Lippman of Politico: “The Trump administration’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency has referred allegations of Rep. Eric Swalwell illegally employing a Brazilian nanny several years ago to law enforcement officials at the Department of Homeland Security for investigation, according to a DHS spokesperson. The probe marks an escalation of hostilities with the Trump administration, following a referral to the Justice Department for investigation into potential mortgage fraud by Swalwell, which he condemned as meritless. It also comes as the Cal[i]fornia Democrat is in a political tailspin from unrelated allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denies.”

Susannah George, et al., of the Washington Post: “After marathon overnight talks between the United States and Iran failed to clinch a deal on U.S. terms..., Donald Trump on Sunday announced the imposition of a naval blockade on Iran — a move that could derail a tenuous two-week ceasefire reached just five days ago. 'Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,' Trump posted Sunday on Truth Social, his social media site. The president also said he had instructed the Navy to interdict all ships that have paid a toll to Iran for traversing the strait, calling Tehran’s expanded control of the waterway 'EXTORTION.'” A CNBC report is here.

New York Times Editors: “When ... [Donald] Trump attacked Iran on Feb. 28, we called his decision reckless.... In the six weeks since, the recklessness of his war has become clearer yet.... We count four main setbacks for America’s national interests that are the direct result of Mr. Trump’s carelessness. These setbacks likewise weaken global democracy.... The most tangible blow ... the increased influence that Iran has secured over the global economy by weaponizing the Strait of Hormuz.... Mr. Trump’s lack of foresight about the strait reveals glaring incompetence.... The second setback is to America’s military standing around the world.... The war’s third big cost is to America’s alliances.... The fourth setback is to America’s moral authority....  Mr. Trump should at long last recognize the ineptitude of his impulsive, go-it-alone approach. He should involve Congress and seek help from America’s allies to minimize the damage from his war.”

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The New York Times' liveblog of developments in the Iran war is here. From the pinned item at 4:45 am ET: “Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that 21 hours of peace talks between the United States and Iran had failed to produce an agreement to end the war, leaving the fate of a fragile two-week cease-fire, and whether ... [Donald] Trump will resume major combat operations, uncertain.... At a brief news conference in Islamabad, Pakistan..., [Mr. Vance] left open the possibility that terms could still be reached.... Mr. Vance did not provide specifics, but said the United States needed an 'affirmative commitment' that Iran would not seek a nuclear weapon or the tools with which to achieve one. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, told state media that disagreement on 'two or three key issues' prevented a deal, but he did not say if Tehran planned to continue talking to the United States.... Iran refused to give up its leverage over ... [the Strait of Hormuz], saying it would do so only after a final peace deal, according to the officials.... The other two key issues were the fate of nearly 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium and Iran’s demand that about $27 billion in frozen revenues held abroad be released, the officials said.” A Politico report is here.

Farnaz Fassihi of the New York Times: “When talks between the United States and Iran ended just before dawn on Sunday morning without a permanent cease-fire, the Americans said they had made their final best offer and that Iran had not accepted. 'We’ve made very clear what our red lines are, what things we’re willing to accommodate them on, and what things we’re not willing to accommodate them on,' Vice President JD Vance said after 21 hours of meetings with top Iranian officials at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad. Mr. Vance did not say what those red lines were. In the days leading up to the talks, both sides had issued public statements suggesting they remained far apart on several critical issues. They did not even agree on whether the two-week truce they reached on Tuesday applied to fighting in Lebanon, a dispute that nearly derailed the meeting.” The report goes on to outline the sticking points. The link has been updated to one that may be a gift link.

Katie Rogers of the New York Times conveys how utterly useless Trump is: “On Saturday evening, as Vice President JD Vance took a podium in Pakistan and said no deal had been reached to end the war in Iran..., [Donald] Trump was in Miami watching a mixed martial arts fight. Mr. Trump spent several hours orbited by Secretary of State Marco Rubio; a few of his children; some Ultimate Fighting Championship officials; Sergio Gor, the U.S. ambassador to India; the recording artist Vanilla Ice; Dan Bongino, the former deputy director of the F.B.I.; and the manosphere shepherd Joe Rogan. He was surrounded by people, but Mr. Trump was somehow an isolated figure. People mostly circulated around him, checking in with updates and then leaving again. For the most part, Mr. Trump sat and impassively watched blood and saliva sprayed out from the fighters beating each other silly in front of him. It was unclear whether the president knew that negotiations had failed by the time he entered the arena for the U.F.C. event to a Kid Rock song and thunderous applause.... In fact, on his way to Florida, Mr. Trump had told reporters that it did not matter to him if a deal with Iran was reached or not...[.]” ~~~

Sophie Brams of the Hill: “Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) on Saturday criticized the involvement of special envoy Steve Witkoff and ... [Donald] Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Middle East diplomacy.... 'You can’t send the two real estate developers to negotiate a peace with another region,' Kelly said during the National Action Network Convention in New York City.... Kelly suggested on Saturday that Trump had committed 'strategic' blunders in the conflict, arguing that Trump went into it 'without a plan, without a timeline, without an exit strategy.' He faulted Trump for the prolonged Iranian blockade of the strait, a vital shipping channel that transports about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. 'There is one person responsible for closing the Strait of Hormuz. It’s Donald Trump,' he said. 'What Donald Trump taught the Iranians is they now have a strategic asset that they can exploit for decades to our detriment.'” 

Michael Crowley, et al., of the New York Times: “As high-level U.S. and Iranian officials met to negotiate an extended cease-fire, two American Navy destroyers entered the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday and destroyed an Iranian surveillance drone approaching one of the ships.... The operation was the beginning stage of an effort to clear mines from the strait and demonstrate to commercial tankers that the waterway could be transited safely. Though the American officials said the surveillance drone was not a direct threat, the Navy determined that it did not want Iranian forces tracking the ships’ movements. The American officials insisted that destroying the drone did not violate the cease-fire. Iran strongly denied that the American warships had entered the critical international waterway on Saturday.”

Mark Mazzetti, et al., of the New York Times: “American intelligence agencies have obtained information that China in recent weeks may have sent a shipment of shoulder-fired missiles to Iran for its conflict with the United States and Israel.... The officials said that the intelligence is not definitive that the shipment has been sent, and that there is no evidence that the Chinese missiles have yet been used against American or Israeli forces during the conflict.... Intelligence agencies have assessed that China is secretly taking an active stance in the war, allowing some companies to ship chemicals, fuel and components that can be used in military production to Iran for the war.... China has long been reluctant to send finished military equipment to Iran, but some officials in the government want Beijing to allow its companies to directly supply the Iranian security forces during the conflict with the United States.” The link appears to be a gift link.

Dan Diamond, et al., of the Washington Post: “A federal appeals court said the White House can temporarily continue construction on ... Donald Trump’s planned White House ballroom while punting a central question — if pausing the $400 million project threatens the president, as Trump claims — back to the federal judge who halted the project last month. In its order issued Saturday, a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled 2-1 that U.S. District Judge Richard Leon should clarify a series of national security-related questions that could affect ongoing construction. The panel also said that the White House could keep working on the project until April 17, granting the administration three extra days before Leon’s pause takes effect.” (Also linked yesterday.) An NBC News story is here.

Maureen Dowd of the New York Times dishes dirt on Melanie: “For mysterious reasons, the Slovenian Sphinx stunned the West Wing, walking into the grand entrance hall of the White House to dump kerosene on the flickering Epstein fire.... The irony of Melania bitterly complaining about the sort of slimy tactics that fueled her husband’s rise was not lost on listeners.... It was also astonishing that she felt compelled to clear up the little matter of how she and Donald met[:]... 'Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband, by chance, at a New York City party in 1998.'” 

Dowd goes on to describe how Paolo Zampolli -- who holds a vague ambassador-y sinecure in the Trump administration -- “takes credit for introducing Donald and Melania.” But read on -- the link is a gift link -- because therein lies a tale, a tale that may explain Melanie's surprise remarks. It seems Paolo had a long-time Brazilian lover named Amanda Ungaro with whom he had a child. During a custody battle last year, Zampolli may have goosed ICE to deport Ungaro. Dowd writes, “Early Thursday just after midnight, Ungaro, clearly upset that Melania didn’t help her in the ICE deportation, posted threatening messages directed at her on X. One now-deleted post read: 'I have nothing left to lose in my life. I will tear down the entire system — be careful with me bitch.' In another, she said: 'Maybe you should be afraid of what I know … of who you are, and who your husband is.' [MB: In another post Ungaro wrote, 'Will take legal action against you and your pedophile husband.'] Melania’s statement came later that day...[.]” (Also linked yesterday.)

     ~~~ Marie: Could we quit pretending that Melania & her friends were "models" in the way Cindy Crawford & Beverley Johnson were models? Melania was a party girl, and in one way or another, she was paid to be a party girl. That doesn't necessarily mean she was a prostitute, but it's safe to assume that sex was very often part of the exchange. In that regard, Melania -- whether she knows it or not -- was a victim because the power dynamic was so lopsided, particularly because she could be kicked out of the country if she didn't deliver. Despite the sometimes glitzy venues, it is a sordid, unstable life. It's not much fun.  

Kenneth Chang of the New York Times: “The four [Artemis II] astronauts made an emotional return to Houston a day after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean at the end of their 10-day lunar journey.... Space officials like Jared Isaacman, the NASA administrator, and Lisa Campbell, the president of the Canadian Space Agency, gave valedictory speeches [at a welcome-back ceremony].... Each of the astronauts spoke. Each touched on the themes of unity and humanity sharing a planet.”

Stacking the Courts. Hamed Aleaziz, et al., of the New York Times: “The Trump administration has fired two immigration judges who dismissed high-profile deportation cases against international students who had advocated for Palestinians. The firings of the judges, Roopal Patel and Nina Froes, marked the latest efforts by the Trump administration to reshape the country’s immigration courts. The administration has dismissed dozens of immigration judges and, according to those on the bench, has put judges under pressure to deny asylum claims and order deportations.... The two judges, who were terminated alongside four colleagues on Friday, oversaw two high-profile cases filed by the government against the students, Rumeysa Ozturk and Mohsen Mahdawi.... Both Ms. Patel and Ms. Froes fit the profile of many judges who have lost their jobs during the second Trump administration: They had been appointed by a Democrat and previously represented immigrants in court. They also granted asylum at higher rates than other judges.”

Adam Sella of the New York Times: “The U.S. Postal Service has been wrestling with one of the most challenging stretches in its 250-year history, trying to stanch a significant cash shortfall through price increases while considering more drastic cost-saving measures.... David Steiner, the postmaster general, recently warned Congress that the Postal Service could run out of money in less than 12 months.... Now it faces pressure on another front as ... [Donald] Trump tries to assert federal control over mail voting. Through a new executive order, the president is seeking to restrict the use of mail ballots by creating lists of citizens to help determine who can vote and directing the Postal Service to send only the ballots of voters deemed eligible. The order, which Mr. Trump issued last month and has used to promote his baseless claims of widespread election fraud, was immediately challenged by more than 20 states as unconstitutional.... Mr. Steiner, a former chief executive of a waste management company who served on FedEx’s board of directors, said the Postal Service would defer to lawmakers and the courts, while reaffirming that the post office would 'absolutely' continue to send mail ballots.”

Chris Hippensteel, et al., of the New York Times: “The Manhattan district attorney’s office is opening an investigation into Representative Eric Swalwell of California, a candidate for governor, a day after multiple women accused him of sexual assault and misconduct in published news reports.... A spokesperson for the Manhattan district attorney’s office said in a statement on Saturday that it was urging 'survivors and anyone with knowledge of these allegations' to contact its Special Victims Division.... One of the allegations detailed against Mr. Swalwell took place in New York City. According to The Chronicle, a former staffer of Mr. Swalwell’s alleged that he sexually assaulted her in a New York hotel room after an awards event in 2024 when she had been heavily intoxicated and as she tried to refuse him.” (Also linked yesterday.) Update: the link has been changed to one that appears to be a gift link. The Independent has a story here.

Jennifer Bahney of Mediaite: “Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) is calling for the expulsion of Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) from Congress now that several former staffers have come forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct, including rape.... Luna said she believed there will soon be another motion to expel Rep. Tony Gonzalez (R-TX) for an alleged affair with a staffer who ended up taking her own life.”

Dustin Gardiner of Politico: “One day after top advisers to Eric Swalwell abandoned his campaign, staffers from his congressional office and campaign released an unsigned statement Saturday expressing support for women who came forward, saying 'any decision of staff members to remain in their roles in the interim should not be viewed as support for Eric Swalwell.' 'We stand with our former colleague, and the other women who have come forward,' the statement reads. 'We believe you should stand with them, too. The behavior detailed in these reports is abhorrent, beneath the dignity of those serving in public office and betrays the trust of all Californians.'” 

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Hungary. Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times: Prime Minister Viktor “Orban, seeking a fifth term amid an economy widely seen as terrible — with high unemployment, virtually no growth and threadbare social services — is running on fear. Much of his pitch revolves around the fantastical claim that his center-right opponent, Peter Magyar, is going to drag Hungary to war in Ukraine.... Heading into the election, most polls show Magyar’s Tisza Party well ahead, and some indicate it’s on track for a landslide.... An Orban defeat would have serious implications for the conservative movement worldwide.... More than any other politician, Orban showed conservatives worldwide how to use government power to wage the culture wars.... And in a poetic coincidence, he’s faltering at the same moment that the intellectual vanguard of the MAGA movement is cracking up under the weight of Trump’s destructive, humiliating war in Iran.... Of course, the victory of Magyar, Tisza’s leader, isn’t assured.” (Also linked yesterday.) Update: the link has been changed to one that appears to be a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: One thing that has struck me about the U.S., Hungary & other right-leaning countries is that the majority of people in those countries don't care a whit about democracy or human rights. When a right-wing leader loses, it's because the voters think he's done something to mess up their own lives: he's raised the price of gas, he hasn't eradicated Covid. It's not because he's corrupt or criminal or has not upheld democratic principles. That the U.S. could elect Trump, or that Hungary -- which had suffered under Eastern bloc repression -- could elect Orban, is all the evidence you need that democracy is a profoundly flawed system of government. I'm not sure what a better one would be. It may be that human nature is such that a more perfect system simply cannot prevail.