Leak of Putin Call Mars JD Vance's Hungary Trip

A leaked phone call with Vladimir Putin surfaced and dominated coverage of Vice President JD Vance's trip to Hungary. Vance was in Budapest campaigning for Hungary's pro-Trump leader, Viktor Orban. During a speech he warned that President Trump still has "tools in our toolbox that we haven't used yet," a remark critics read as a hint at nuclear options against Iran. The leak and the nuclear rhetoric matter because they link U.S. leadership language to support for illiberal allies, raise the risk of escalation with Iran, and create political liability for Vance domestically.