Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Saturday urged progressives in the U.S. and around the world to learn from each other, saying the defeat of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Hungary can offer a roadmap for rebuilding democracy.
The Connecticut Democrat, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke at the inaugural Global Progressive Mobilization conference in Barcelona. He painted the picture of an America in crisis, likening President Trump's actions to a totalitarian takeover.
Murphy told the crowd that the U.S. faced the most significant threat to democratic institutions since the Civil War, and Americans were watching the courage of the defenders of democracy in Hungary and other parts of Europe.
What the Left Is Saying
Murphy framed Hungary's election result as a turning point for global progressive politics. That victory in Hungary just a week ago lifted our sails in the United States of America, he said. So I want us to make sure one more time that we give a hearty, loud thanks to the people of Hungary for saving their democracy and perhaps helping to save ours.
The senator called on progressives to unite to counter right-wing populism across the globe, pointing to the AfD party in Germany, far-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen in France, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Orbán and Trump. They learn from each other. They copy one another's tactics of democratic destruction, and they count on us to be divided, to argue over purity tests while they dismantle our freedom, Murphy said. But to beat them, we must learn from each other too.
Murphy also pushed for corporate power to be broken up and to confront the cult of corruption worldwide, which he argued is harming working-class people. This is the lesson from Hungary. The Hungarians refused to bend to the cult of corruption. They demanded a higher standard from their public sector leaders, he added.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservatives have pushed back against Murphy's characterization of the current political moment. Republicans have defended Trump's actions as within presidential authority, arguing that Murphy's rhetoric oversimplifies complex constitutional questions.
Conservative commentators have noted that Murphy's comparison to totalitarian regimes ignores what they describe as the administration's lawful exercises of executive power. Critics have also pointed to Democratic opposition to various Trump initiatives as itself a form of institutional resistance.
Some on the right have argued that Murphy's calls for global progressive coordination amount to foreign interference in American politics. Others have suggested his rhetoric inflates political disagreements into existential threats, a charge they say undermines productive governance.
Progressive calls for unity across borders have drawn skepticism from some conservative quarters, who argue that Murphy's vision would entrench partisan conflict rather than bridge it.
What the Numbers Show
Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar and his center-right Tisza party won a landslide victory in Sunday's election, capturing a two-thirds parliamentary majority and ending Orbán's 16-year reign.
Magyar made his first appearance on Hungary's public broadcaster in nearly two years on Wednesday morning and announced the government would suspend the service's news programming until conditions are established that are independent, objective, and impartial.
The election result marked a significant political shift in Hungary, which had been governed by Orbán's Fidesz party since 2010. The transition represents one of the most notable changes in European politics in recent years.
Murphy's characterization of Trump as attempting to seize control of courts, law enforcement, media and elections reflects Democratic Party criticism of White House actions, though Republicans have disputed these characterizations.
The Bottom Line
The political debate over Murphy's comments reflects deeper divisions over the state of American democracy. His Barcelona speech signaled that Democrats intend to frame the current political moment as an existential struggle for democratic norms.
The Hungary election result, while involving a center-right opposition party rather than progressives, has been seized upon by Democrats as evidence that populist movements can be defeated. Whether this model translates to American politics remains a subject of ongoing debate.
What happens next will depend on how both parties respond to what Murphy described as interconnected global political movements. The senator's call for progressive learning across borders represents an attempt to build international coalition, a strategy that faces both opportunities and obstacles.