On the surface, the Hungarian prime minister's trip was exactly what he went to Washington for: luxuriant praise and an exemption from sanctions on Russian oil, gas and nuclear supplies.
And all that just five months out from a difficult election.
Look closer, however, and the picture is less clear cut. The US side struck a hard trade deal - and an expensive one for Hungary.
And there's no progress on Viktor Orban's biggest headache: ending the war in neighbouring Ukraine, and with it the long shadow the conflict casts over Hungary.
Let's look first at Orban's key win - a year's exemption from US sanctions.
