Orban lost, and Trump called him a "good man." Not "great leader," not "best ally" - but "good man" and "my friend." In Trump's vocabulary, that's a retirement speech.

"He was my friend. Not my choice, but he was my friend," Trump said. The phrase "not my choice" is key - distancing that comes less than 48 hours after Orban's defeat. When he was winning, Orban was a "fantastic leader." Now he's a "good man." The difference says everything.

Trump specifically highlighted migration policy, stating that Orban "made good decisions on immigration and didn't allow people to come and destroy his country like Italy did." Praise for the past, nothing for the future. Not a word about Magyar, not a word about how Washington will work with Hungary's new government.

A message for every Balkan leader who thinks friendship with Trump is insurance: it lasts exactly as long as you're winning. The moment you fall, you become a "good man" in the past tense.