
Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report” talks to Balázs Orbán about defending national sovereignty at CPAC Hungary; how Hungary and the U.S. face similar threats to cultural values; the importance of free speech and media honesty; Hungary’s...
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Dave Rubin
All right, I'm here in Budapest at CPAC, Hungary. The age of patriots is the tagline for the event. Victor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary, just spoke. There are diplomats and public speakers from quite literally all over the world here. I'll be on the main stage in a few minutes. We're doing a live show. Live. Reuben, report right over here. Here, you can turn the camera. There's a chair there. There's a chair and people and all that good stuff. And then we'll be doing some alive. Rubin reports on it. With now 20 guests, probably probably the most guests I've ever had on one show, except maybe for election night in America.
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But it's very exciting. You know, we're in a very small country here.
Dave Rubin
Hungary has, I think 9.7 million people, but it is in a very critical part of Europe where they are trying to defend their borders, defend their culture. And I think you understand that has a little something to do with what we're trying to do in America. And it doesn't have to do with skin color or religion or anything else. There are cultural values that every nation shares with their, with their own citizens. And if you don't defend that, then you don't have a. A nation. So that seems to be what this conference is about. That's a bit about what I'm going to talk about when I get up there with a little bit of smacking around the mainstream media a bit and more. So stay tuned.
Balaj Orban
Thank you.
Dave Rubin
Thank you. It is wonderful to be here at CPAC Hungary. I must say that I watched the opening video intro of some of the mainstream media coverage of this event. And first, a very warm welcome to all of you right wing extremists. It's great to be here with you. Very exciting. And if you guys are right wing extremists, I think the other thing that they said in that package was that you had free fringe international commentators here with you. So that means that's me. So I think we're in pretty good company. What do you think? Seems like it. Right wing extremists and fringe media people. I think that means that we're all for free speech. That's basically what that means. It means we're for free speech and we're for law and order and we're for sovereign nations and secure borders and we actually respect political dissent and we're willing to debate ideas. And you know, I obviously come from America where we are ground zero for this fight. You know, what happens in America translates across the rest of the globe. And I know having traveled quite a bit in the last year and spoken to people in hundreds of countries that particularly in Europe, there is an assault on free speech. Right now that probably is the single biggest issue on the globe more than anything else. We've got immigration issues, there are economic issues, there are security issues. But the assault on free speech, the attacks that we are seeing across Europe, where if you tweet a meme or you say something against the government or you make an unsavory joke that you're going to have police show up at your door, this notion, I think, attacks the very bedrock of the ideas that we are here to defend today. And I'm particularly honored to be here in Hungary. This is my second time here. And it's interesting, Hungary, which is a country of, I think, 9.7 million people, a fairly small country that, you guys, if America is the epicenter of all of this for the globe, that Hungary has become the epicenter of freedom for Europe, you're doing it right here. You really are doing it right. And one of the things that I think I'll discuss with Balaj Orban in a few minutes with, is that when you do things right for a while, it doesn't seem that exciting, right. People stop remembering that things could be a lot worse. And I can tell you, having been involved in the culture wars in America for the past decade plus, that all of the things that we're fighting, you know, this crazed sense of wokeism, whether it's related to the transgender nonsense, whether it's related to race or whether it's related to borders or any of these things, these ideas are hacking away every single day. They are hacking away at our basic freedoms. My very good friend, who I'm sure many of you know, Douglas Murray, often says that one day the barbarians will be at the gates and we'll be debating what gender pronouns to call them. And I think that's right. We have decided to debate things we were supposed to put to bed decades ago while the barbarians are at the gate, and until we become serious again. And maybe this is a function of success, a function of. Of Western values, a function of classical liberalism, which really, for 200 years has led the globe the idea that individuals matter and that we can be free and that free trade is good and that capitalism is good and all of these things. We got so fat on those ideas to some extent in the west that we forgot how to defend them. And to see a place like Hungary start becoming that epicenter of defending those ideas. And I know it's not easy. It's not easy. I read what they say about Hungary. I read what they say about your prime minister. I see the same video that you see. And all of that, of course, is to the backdrop of what I started with, which is that much of the fight about free speech and all of these Western ideals, it's being so mismanaged by a mainstream media layer that is lying to us about almost everything.
T-Mobile Representative
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Zoe Saldana
Thanks. And here's my old phone to trade in.
T-Mobile Representative
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Zoe Saldana
There's always a trade in.
T-Mobile Representative
Not right now. @ T Mobile.
Zoe Saldana
I feel like I have to give you something in return for karma.
T-Mobile Representative
That's okay.
Zoe Saldana
I don't really have much in my purse. Oh, let's see. Hand sanitizer. It's lavender.
T-Mobile Representative
I'm good. Seriously.
Zoe Saldana
Let me check this pocket. Oh, mints.
T-Mobile Representative
Really, I'm fine.
Zoe Saldana
Oh, I have raisins. I'm a mom. Wait, wait one sec. I've got cupcakes in the car.
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Dave Rubin
You know, we're only a few years out of COVID where we were all told that if you walked into a restaurant, you had to have a mask and if you sat down, you could somehow take the mask off or if you got the vaccine, you were not going to get nor transmit Covid. Or from an American perspective, we were told that Donald Trump was a Russian plant or that he said that there were very fine people on both sides of the Charlottesville debate. We have been hit with lie after lie after lie. And if I'm proud of one thing that I've accomplished in my life, it's that I've been fighting those lies from a media perspective, really since the beginning. But it is not because I am somehow from the future or anything else. It's just because this Internet, this phone that we are walking around with that now has access to more information than our parents and grandparents and. And forefathers could have ever imagined. We have access to information. And through that information, we can finally pilfer a little bit of truth. The mainstream layer that has lied about so many of these things, that has distorted this, that will do reports like we saw at the beginning of the conference claiming that this is some sort of far right event or that this, that any of the ideas that we'll be speaking here, speaking about here for the next two days are racist or bigoted or something like that it's completely absurd. And I would say it's 180 of the truth. If you want to find out who the racists are, well, from an American perspective, you might want to listen to our progressive wing of the Democrat Party that basically has taken over the party, that wants racism in our schools, that tells us that our founding was evil, that wants college admissions to be based on the color of skin and these things. And that's what we must fight. We have to fight it at every possible level. Whether you're in Hungary and you have to fight the European Union as it pertains to borders, whether you're in America, and you have to fight the mainstream media as they lie about Donald Trump or any combination thereof. That's what we have to fight. And that is why I'm so absolutely proud to be with you today. And on that note, one of the things that I've been able to do in the last decade or so of doing this is sit down with extraordinary people from all over the world. And. And one of the great things about doing that is you start realizing that the same issues that I'm talking about here today are happening all over the globe, that there is this interconnectivity that did not exist before the Internet, that what happens now in Australia, as I just talked to former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, is connected to what's happening here in Hungary, and it's connected to what's happening in the United States, and that's connected to Canada and all over the world. And as those connections come together, as we fight to be sovereign nations in a world that's getting ever more interconnected and globalized, that means the fight's going to be that much harder because we're going to see that our friends across the pond or wherever are dealing with the same things we are. And it makes the monster seem that much bigger.
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Dave Rubin
The ideas that you guys believe in and what I believe that Balaj Orban and Viktor Orban and Donald Trump and so many others are fighting for is the right for you, the individual, to live freely in a nation that will defend your culture and your freedom and your beliefs and your values. And why don't we take a moment and welcome Balaj Orban to the stage, political director for Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Good to see you, my friend. All right, Balaj, I've been in Hungary for only about 12 hours. I think I've interviewed you seven times. So we will try, we will try not to make this repetitive. Well, what did you think about my remarks there, that there's a globalization happening, that much of the good stuff and the bad stuff emanates from the United States. And now I would say much of the good stuff emanates from this very small country that only a few years ago really very few people were talking about.
Balaj Orban
First of all, I agree with you. I'm very proud of it. But this is what I told you before, that we Hungarian patriotic politicians, we do not think that our job is to save the world. We do think that our job is to save our country. And this is where our focus is. But as you just described, the world is changing and what happens outside Hungary, it affects the everyday life of the Hungarians. Like 20 years ago it was unimaginable that, you know, something happened at the Middle East. The liberal democracy building paradigm of the American foreign policy is blowing up the Middle east and like there is a civil war and just hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people starting to flee and they knock on the doors of the Hungarian people and want to enter the country without Any permission. It was. It was unimaginable for the Hungarian people. But now we live in a world when bad decisions are affecting the everyday life of the Hungarians. And for this reason, we have to act in a coordinated way together with our partners, and we have to stop those bad people who are without democratic permission, doing the bad decisions and want to destroy our life.
Dave Rubin
How do you guys here in Hungary deal with the media component of it? Because, you know, everyone here saw that opening montage and I just have no doubt that when we look at X Twitter later today, we will see the same headlines over and over about this far right conference.
Balaj Orban
Yeah, but because of you.
Dave Rubin
It's mostly because of me. And I apologize.
Balaj Orban
Authoritarian.
Dave Rubin
You know, I wrote the number one best selling book in America defending classical liberalism, and they somehow have me pinned as a far right maniac. But as I said earlier, we're in good company here.
Balaj Orban
Ridiculous.
Dave Rubin
But how do you deal with that from a media perspective? Here is the Hungarian. You know, you have the Hungarian media and then you have the worldwide media. Are they kind of in lockstep or do you see a difference there?
Balaj Orban
So 10 years ago, it was quite hard to describe for us what is going on in Hungary, because as you mentioned, it's a language which is only spoken by approximately 12 million people. And when the globalists used their own media to try to discredit Hungary and they launched the big campaign against Hungary and all the others, good heart, good willing people were saying, look, this is what I read in the news and I don't speak the language, so I have no idea. But then I think something changed when Trump came and the average American citizens and Western European citizens after the migration crisis, they realized that liberal media is lying and they are spreading the same kind of fake news is about Trump, about the migration issue, and about all the politicians who were in their way, then they realized that most probably is the same issue with Hungary and with Prime Minister Orban. And this is why we are very grateful that there are some important new type of media figures like you and many others who are saying that, okay, Hungary requires justice. And we have to go there and see. We have to do some ground research and we have to see what is going on there and show it to the world that it's not an authoritarian dictatorship. This is exactly. This is a normal country, not a perfect country, but a normal country where you have strong Conservative leadership for 15 years and it means that there are no migrants, there is law and order on the streets, and there is economic opportunity and freedom for Everyone who is here in this country. It's so simple and this was a game changer. And I think the situation for us is much better than I would say ever before in the modern time of sovereign Hungary. And we are very grateful to you and your partners as well.
Dave Rubin
What would you give?
Balaj Orban
A big applause to them.
Dave Rubin
Well, thank you, fellas.
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Dave Rubin
I, I don't feel I'm owed thanks or anything else. I, I like being around people that are fighting for the right things. And when I met you about a decade ago, neither one of us had beards at that time and we were, we were just kids. But I, but I thought, here's something leading now, but I thought, here's somebody fighting for his country and doing it honestly and earnestly. And so I don't know that I deserve thanks for that.
Balaj Orban
It's just, I think it's being reasonable and being normal and this. Unfortunately, we're living in a world where it requires appreciation. Being reasonable and being normal, Is that.
Dave Rubin
The funny part of what's going on right now? So when the media will take a conference like this and they'll clip things in a certain way and all of the things that we know that they do, that if you were to take what happens at say a conservative conference like this in Hungary led by Viktor Orban, who they say all These things about that. Actually, what you will get here in reality is a plurality of ideas that not everyone in this room is going to agree about everything. And that's the disconnect between what happens sort of in the room versus the way things are covered.
Balaj Orban
Yes, that's, that's true. Yesterday we had an event at the, one of the Scruton cafe houses and next to it there is a Marxist bar. It's called Red Ruin. So they live in peace and harmony next to each other. So I, and, and, and you know, like, like you can feel yourself at home in Hungary. And this is what lacks in many respects, European big cities. And this is what was lost by the United States in the last years. And I hope that it can be restored. You have to feel yourself at home in your hometown, in your home country. And this is what required, this is what democracy means. So it's not an abstract term, it's a practical thing. Whether you think that the government is serving you, it's fighting because of you, not against you. And they are trying to provide better service, better quality of life, better environment for you and for your family. And this is the basic pillar of democracy. This mindset needs to be restored in every single Western country because if it doesn't happen, then the rest of the world will proceed and will be much more developed and nicer than the Western part of the world.
Dave Rubin
Now, you guys have an election coming up in about 10 months, and it seems to me that one of the things that you're going to have to deal with from a conservative perspective is that things are pretty good here. It works pretty well. You've secured the borders, your economy is certainly doing better than most of Europe. But selling to people the idea that things could be worse, it's sort of like you become a victim of your own success in some way. How do you message that properly? Is that part of the messaging?
Balaj Orban
The problem is not with messaging. It's not a campaign issue. Our problem is the everyday reality, what we're living in. So, like from the United States to see what's going on in Europe and what bad role the European Union and the supranational institutions are playing in Europe. It's almost unrecognizable, but we are living here. So the bad news and the bad thing is that the leadership in Brussels, the transnational institution leaders, they are the same ones who made the bad decisions in the last years. We, all Europeans are suffering from the consequences of the bad decisions and they have new plans and they want to execute Those new bad plans which are about how to continue the war, how to destroy the economy, how to not dealing with the rising energy prices. And they use every resources they have, financial resources, legal resources, resources, political resources. They're even campaigning in this country as well for one side, for our opponents. They're campaigning actively for our opponents. So they want to overthrown the government and they want to have a government which is executing their decisions. And this is a real danger and you can lose and we can lose our country very easily. So for, for this reason, how to avoid it, how to defend our country and how to change the leadership in Brussels. It requires joint efforts and community. It's not about messaging, it's not about advertising, it's about bringing together the people who are originally behind the right wing political movement in Hungary and explaining them that this is the time, this is the moment where we have to destroy our country because Brussels wants to take it over and we don't want to let it happen. So let's fight together.
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Dave Rubin
You told me something rather extraordinary earlier today. That, that your country is fined, what did you say? A million euros a day because of the closed border situation. I mean that, that is as crazy as things are. The idea that just because you've decided to run your nation as you see fit, that you have to pay, in essence, pay a tax.
Balaj Orban
It's crazy, isn't it? And my problem is that when I'm mentioning it to my American friends, I once mentioned it to Vice President J.D. wentz as well. And he told me that 1 million per day, oh, it's a pretty good business. If you let those people in, it would cost you more. And I told him that, look, you were right on one hand, but on the other hand, it's like it's a nonsense. It's the most undemocratic, corrupt decision which was ever made by the European Union, that not helping a country which is defending the European Borders, but putting sanctions on it. It's crazy. So this is why I'm saying that it's not just about elections or party political differences, but we have to destroy this mindset of Brussels, destroy this mindset of the European transnational globalist leadership, and it requires joint action for all the sovereign conservative forces in European countries.
Dave Rubin
What else would you like to see from Donald Trump and from America as it pertains to. I mean, obviously we have a new administration. The world is very, very different than it was just, you know, five or six months ago. But is there something that you're not seeing, maybe from the American administration or something that you'd like Trump to message that would help deal with what's going on in Brussels?
Balaj Orban
Why? My prime minister made a peace mission last year. He went to Kiev, Moscow, Beijing, Washington, to the NATO summit, and then they met with Trump, and then he wrote a report which is publicly available so everybody can read it. And. And he said that, that the reality is that those, those two parties who are fighting the Russians and the Ukrainians, based on different reasoning. But. But they don't want to stop fighting. So we need mediators from outside if we want to stop the killing. We need neutral outside mediators, not big countries who are ready to make proxy war against each other through smaller nations, but we need neutral outside mediators who are trying to convince both parties to sit down and stop the killing. And actually, this is what President Trump is trying to do. And he had remarked remarkable achievements. Like two months ago or three months ago, no one was expecting that direct talks between west and Russia is possible. No one was, was, was thinking about that again. After three years negotiations, direct negotiations, and prisoners exchange exchanges between Ukrainians and Russians is possible, and Donald Trump made it possible.
Dave Rubin
So.
Balaj Orban
We don't have expectations, but we are praying for him to be successful. Because if he is successful and he can end the war, it will be very complicated. It's a very complex diplomatic process. But if he succeeds, then it will be a big win for Hungary and for the entire European continent.
Dave Rubin
Unfortunately, we only have about a minute left, so let me ask you one last thing. Conservatives are usually quite good at looking at the past and trying to take the good things from the past and bring them into the present. But at the moment, with all of the issues that we've discussed here, are you hopeful right now that these things will be solved, that Hungary will be able to maintain its border, that Brussels will be pushed back, that America will be able to lead a Western society into the future?
Balaj Orban
I'm extremely optimist because Hungary, honestly among us all Hungarians, know what I'm talking about, lost the 20th century. But I think we have pretty good chances to be the winners of the 21st century. We just have to have a good vision, a bold leadership and the community which is ready to to defend itself and ready to fight for what is important for Hungary. And then it's going to be easy peasy.
Dave Rubin
Let's keep fighting. My friend, Balaj Orban. Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you.
T-Mobile Representative
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Zoe Saldana
Thanks. And here's my old phone to trade in.
T-Mobile Representative
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Zoe Saldana
There's always a trade end.
T-Mobile Representative
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Zoe Saldana
I feel like I have to give you something in return for karma.
T-Mobile Representative
That's okay.
Zoe Saldana
I don't really have much in my purse. Oh, let's see. Hand sanitizer. It's lavender.
T-Mobile Representative
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Zoe Saldana
Let me check this pocket. Oh, mints.
T-Mobile Representative
Really, I'm fine.
Zoe Saldana
Oh, I have raisins. I'm a mom. Wait, wait one sec. I've got cupcakes in the car.
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Podcast Summary: The Rubin Report – "Dave Rubin Has an Urgent Warning for the West"
Release Date: June 6, 2025
In this compelling episode of The Rubin Report, host Dave Rubin delivers a poignant analysis of the current socio-political climate in the West, with a particular focus on Hungary's role in defending Western values. Filmed live at CPAC Hungary, Rubin engages in a deep conversation with Balaj Orban, the political director for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The episode delves into themes of free speech, media misinformation, European Union policies, and the broader implications for Western democracies.
Dave Rubin begins the episode by setting the stage at CPAC Hungary, titled "The Age of Patriots." He highlights the presence of global diplomats and speakers, emphasizing Hungary's strategic position in Europe’s cultural and political landscape.
"Hungary has, I think, 9.7 million people, but it is in a very critical part of Europe where they are trying to defend their borders, defend their culture." [02:04]
Rubin underscores the importance of national cultural values and the necessity of defending them to maintain a nation's integrity.
A significant portion of the discussion revolves around the perceived global assault on free speech. Rubin expresses concern over increasing restrictions on free expression, comparing it to historical and current challenges faced in America.
"The assault on free speech, the attacks that we are seeing across Europe... is probably the single biggest issue on the globe more than anything else." [05:20]
He draws parallels between the suppression of dissent in Europe and similar trends in the United States, criticizing mainstream media narratives that label such movements as extremist.
Rubin passionately criticizes mainstream media for perpetuating false narratives and misinformation, particularly regarding conservative movements and leaders like Viktor Orban and himself.
"The mainstream layer that has lied about so many of these things, that has distorted this." [06:25]
He highlights how media biases contribute to misunderstanding and misrepresentation of political events and figures, fostering division and hindering constructive dialogue.
Rubin introduces his guest, Balaj Orban, acknowledging their longstanding collaboration and shared goals in defending national sovereignty and cultural values.
"We're in good company here. What you think? Seems like it." [03:45]
Key Topics Discussed:
Hungary's Sovereignty and EU Relations
Orban emphasizes Hungary's focus on national sovereignty, resisting external influences from supranational entities like the European Union.
"We do not think that our job is to save the world. We think our job is to save our country." [14:08]
He criticizes the EU's policies, particularly those related to migration and economic decisions, arguing that they undermine Hungary's autonomy and stability.
"The leadership in Brussels... are the ones who made the bad decisions in the last years." [20:15]
Media’s Role in Shaping Perceptions
Addressing the media's portrayal of Hungary, Orban acknowledges the misinformation campaigns but also notes a shift in global awareness due to leaders like Trump challenging mainstream narratives.
"They want to overthrow the government and have a government which is executing their decisions. And this is a real danger." [25:00]
Globalization and Its Impacts
Orban discusses the interconnectedness of global politics, highlighting how decisions in one country can have profound effects worldwide.
"The world is changing and what happens outside Hungary, it affects the everyday life of the Hungarians." [14:50]
Economic and Security Policies
The discussion touches on Hungary's economic resilience and security measures, contrasting them with other European nations that are struggling with similar issues.
"There are economic opportunities and freedom for everyone in this country. It's so simple." [21:10]
Rubin inquires about the influence of American politics on Hungary and vice versa, particularly regarding Donald Trump's potential role in mediating international conflicts.
"Donald Trump made it possible." [28:49]
Orban expresses optimism about Trump's diplomatic efforts to end the war, viewing it as a potential triumph for Hungarian and European interests.
In the concluding segments, Orban shares his optimism for Hungary's future, emphasizing the importance of strong leadership, community solidarity, and a clear vision.
"We have pretty good chances to be the winners of the 21st century. We just have to have a good vision, a bold leadership, and the community ready to defend itself." [29:42]
Rubin echoes this sentiment, reinforcing the need for continued vigilance and cooperation among conservative forces globally to uphold democratic values and national sovereignty.
Dave Rubin wraps up the episode by reiterating the shared mission between him and Balaj Orban: to defend individual freedoms, cultural values, and national sovereignty against globalist pressures and media misinformation. The conversation underscores the interconnectedness of global politics and the critical role Hungary plays as a bastion of freedom in Europe.
"Let's keep fighting." [30:17]
Notable Quotes:
Dave Rubin on Media Misinformation:
"The mainstream layer that has lied about so many of these things, that has distorted this." [06:25]
Balaj Orban on EU Sanctions:
"It's the most undemocratic, corrupt decision which was ever made by the European Union." [25:57]
Rubin on Individual Freedoms:
"The right for you, the individual, to live freely in a nation that will defend your culture and your freedom." [13:02]
Conclusion
This episode of The Rubin Report offers a critical examination of the challenges facing Western democracies, particularly focusing on Hungary's struggle to maintain national sovereignty and defend cultural values against external pressures. Through insightful dialogue with Balaj Orban, Rubin highlights the pervasive issues of media misinformation and the urgent need for collective action to preserve individual freedoms and democratic principles globally.