Romania’s political chaos heats up as Trump Jr. makes controversial visit

Donald Trump Jr. is set to visit Romania at the end of April, just days before the country's delayed presidential election. His visit is scheduled for April 28, while the first round of voting will take place on May 4, with a runoff planned for May 18.
The first round of the election took place in November 2024, when far-right populist Călin Georgescu made an unexpected victory. However, Romania’s Constitutional Court later annulled the results due to concerns about Russian influence on the election. As a result, Georgescu was disqualified from participating in the May election, with the election board arguing that his candidacy failed to meet legal standards and accusing him of undermining democracy.
The court's ruling sparked significant backlash from those within President Donald Trump's circle, who have shown support for far-right movements in Europe. Both billionaire Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance criticized the decision, and Trump Jr. baselessly labeled it as "Another Soros/Marxist attempt at rigging the outcome & denying the will of the people."
Trump Jr. will attend the "Trump Business Vision 2025" event during his trip to Romania, part of a speaking tour that includes stops in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia, and Slovakia. According to Axios, he will not meet with government officials or participate in any public events while in Romania.
His visit comes amid his previous commentary on Romania's political landscape and the efforts of his allies to influence European politics.
Earlier this year, Musk voiced strong support for Germany’s far-right AfD party ahead of its February elections. That same month, Vice President JD Vance visited Germany, where he met with AfD leader Alice Weidel and publicly criticized European leaders for excluding far-right figures from the political mainstream.