Washington DC - Senator Mitch McConnell criticized Republicans for going out of their way to push for the reelection of Hungary's far-right prime minister Viktor Orban, who was trounced in Sunday's pivotal election.

In an opinion piece for Fox News published on Monday, McConnell said Hungary's politics have become "an object of intense fascination" for conservatives, which he found to be "endlessly puzzling."

"America's self-proclaimed national conservatives spoke of Orban's Hungary as an oasis of traditionalism amid the wasteland of an ailing, liberal and decadent postmodern Europe. And some American politicians appear to have bought into the myth," McConnell wrote.

"To be clear, it is a myth," he continued. "Orban's champions on this side of the Atlantic may well consider his illiberal court-packing, crony capitalism, or restriction of free speech an acceptable price for their desired social utopia."

"Yet for all the talk of reviving faith and family through statist intervention, Hungary's religious participation and birth rates under his rule have declined right alongside the rest of the West."

McConnell's surprisingly critical piece came after Vice President JD Vance traveled to Hungry this month to campaign in support of Orban, a loyal MAGA ally to President Donald Trump.

The far-right politician ultimately lost badly on Sunday, putting an end to his 16-years in power.

Last February, McConnell – who has served in the senate since 1984, making him the longest-serving party leader in Senate history – announced he will not be seeking reelection this year.