Welcome back Trumpland listeners. It's me, Alex Wagner, bringing you a very special bonus episode.

As you may recall, our final episode, which marked the end of Trump's first 100 days in his second term, was called Make America Hungary.

For years, American conservatives, including Donald Trump, have looked to Hungary's

authoritarian leader Victor Orban and his project of illiberal democracy as a blueprint for the U.S.

From Orban's anti-immigrant policies to his targeting of the LGBTQ plus community, to the state

takeover of a free press.

So I traveled to Budapest to talk to Hungarians about how Orban had been so successful in

consolidating power and enriching himself and his cronies, as well as what Americans could learn

from the Hungarians who refused to go quietly into that good night.

Well, in the year since we went to Hungary, something monumental has happened.

Breaking news, there are celebrations in the streets of Budapest as Hungary's prime minister,

Victor Orban, has conceded after a 16-year reign.

And just moments ago, he did congratulate.

Sent her right challenger, Pierre Maja, in an election victory.

I haven't seen Hungarians being so joyful and happy in my entire life, not even when we got rid of the Soviets.

I've seen people smiling, celebrating, dancing, singing alone in the Danube Embankment.

On April 12th, Peter Maggiar and his Teesa party won decisively, ending Victor Orban's

16-year stranglehold on power.

Magyar has vowed to dismantle many of the corrupt systems Orban and his party have installed over the years.

Shortly after his victory, Madjar did an interview with the state-run media station, part of Orban's

propaganda machine, and told them, live, on air,

that he would be shutting them down.

...