This is the fourth installment of a series of articles appearing in HFP on the meteoric rise of Sebastian Gorka, President Trump’s counterterrorism adviser. Recently questions have been raised about Mr. Gorka’s competence and his connection to anti-Semitic groups and individuals. (See: Part 1 & Part 2 & Part 3 )

Viktor Orbán, the Prime Minister of Hungary, wants to be a major leading diplomatic player on the world stage. Although Hungary is one of Europe’s poorer countries, its government recently paid $16,000,000 dollars for a Beaux-Arts architectural style historic mansion in Washington DC. The new Hungarian Embassy will be the perfect place to entertain, just blocks away from the White House and Executive Offices.

Hungary’s Ambassador Réka Szemerkényi and Hungary’s minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Mr. Péter Szijjártó dedicated the building and Szijjártó declared, “Let’s make the Hungarian and United States relationship great again.”

Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa., stressed that a strong bond must be forged and kept between the Hungary and the United States. Rep. King is an arch-conservative who recently made headlines with a racist comment when he told Iowa radio host Jan Mickelson that “we can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies.”

The invited guests included Mr. Sebastian Gorka, who is a Hungarian citizen and counter-terrorism advisor to President Trump. Mr. Szijjártó had talks with him.

Yes, Mr. Gorka who is a deputy assistant to the President is now conducting foreign policy. It is also suspected that he is providing unprecedented access for Hungarian diplomats to the White House. Hungary came to the rescue when questions were raised about Mr. Gorka’s relationships with Hungary’s far-right, anti-Semitic groups and it was suspected that he is a member of the pro-fascist Hungarian Vitézi Rend. Tibor Navracsics, an Orbán confidant, ex-deputy-prime-minister and currently the EU commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport defended Mr. Gorka in an article published by The Hill. Mr. Navracsics surprisingly described Gorka as the “man who has spent his life battling fascists and anti-Semites.” (Read Mr. Navracsics’s defense here)

In an interview with the Hungarian weekly Figyelő, Hungarian Ambassador to Washington, Ms. Réka Szemerkényi, said that she has developed such a close relationship with the Trump administration that other embassies have started turning to her for contacts and advice. (Read about Ms. Szemerkenyi’s White House contacts here)

So pro-Putin Hungary has a close relationship with the White House?

According to the article, Ms. Szemerkényi had already met the new US president three times (!) since his election victory past November. In addition to meeting President Trump, Ms. Szemerkényi has, by her own description, met “half” the US government; she has had three meetings with new Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and has talked with Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State nominee Wilbur Ross, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson as well.

Three meetings with Attorney General Jeff Sessions?

I don’t subscribe to conspiracy theories but it wouldn’t surprise me if it would turn out that Mr. Putin is behind the Ambassador’s frequent contacts with the Trump White House. Putin recently visited Hungary and Russian news outlets report that Mr. Orbán is a potential “bridge” between Presidents Trump and Putin (Read Russian Sputnik News about Mr. Orbán’s role).

Sputnik News writes: “Trump is openly interested in normalizing relations with Russia and cooperating in areas of shared interest such as antiterrorist operations, Orbán is revealed to be a geopolitical visionary who could also importantly help bridge the remaining divides between Moscow and Washington in advance of their hoped-for detente. Orbán is already on great terms with President Putin and it can be assumed that Trump sees him quite favorably as well, so it makes sense why Russia’s leader might have visited him for this important purpose.”

I’m sure that more people will ask in the future: Just who is Mr. Gorka? And what is Hungary’s role in President Trump’s relationship with the Russians?

György Lázár