EXCLUSIVE: Trump administration threatened not to recognize Romania’s election results — Bucharest received reassurances, says top official

A potential diplomatic crisis loomed as the United States considered not recognizing the results of Romania’s upcoming presidential elections in May, a senior Romanian official told G4Media.ro. The official confirmed earlier reports from multiple diplomatic sources indicating that the Trump administration had contemplated withholding recognition of the elections.

This comes amid growing tension between Washington and Bucharest following the controversial cancellation of the first round of Romania’s presidential vote. U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Elon Musk — who currently holds a position within the Trump administration — both sharply criticized Romania’s decision to cancel the initial vote.

The government led by Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu (Social Democratic Party, PSD) is currently under pressure from multiple possible crises triggered by the Trump administration. These include the suspension of Romania’s participation in the Visa Waiver Program, a potential withdrawal of U.S. troops from Eastern Europe (including Romania), the impact of U.S. trade tariffs on the Romanian economy, and political uncertainty surrounding Washington’s stance on Romania’s presidential election outcome.

Călin Georgescu, a former Romanian presidential candidate known for his nationalist rhetoric, has repeatedly claimed that the Trump administration intends to impose sanctions on Romania.

After weeks of silence between the two governments, Prime Minister Ciolacu announced last Thursday that he had dispatched two envoys to re-establish contact with high-ranking U.S. officials. However, after one of these envoys, Dragoș Sprânceană, made controversial public statements, Ciolacu distanced himself from him.

At the Munich Security Conference on February 14, U.S. Vice President JD Vance (a prominent Trump ally and Ohio senator before assuming office) openly criticized Romania’s decision to cancel the first round of its presidential elections. He argued it was based on “flimsy suspicions from an intelligence agency and enormous pressure from continental neighbors.”

Vance also dismissed the idea that a democracy could be undermined through digital influence from a foreign country, remarking that “if that’s true, then your democracy wasn’t very strong to begin with.”

On March 10, billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk — who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the Trump administration — posted a harsh critique on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, reacting to the electoral developments in Romania. „How can a judge end democracy in Romania?” Musk wrote, after the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) invalidated Călin Georgescu’s candidacy in response to a formal complaint.

Musk is part of a close circle of influential Silicon Valley billionaires — including Peter Thiel, Mark Zuckerberg, and Marc Andreessen — who hold considerable sway over former President Donald Trump, now reinstated as head of state following the 2024 U.S. elections.

The first high-profile critique of Romania’s election irregularities came from Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of President Trump. On December 7, 2024, Trump Jr. posted on X: “Wow, look what’s happening in Romania! The Constitutional Court just annulled the first round of presidential elections. Another Soros-Marxist attempt to rig the result and deny the will of the people. She will lose, and they know it.”

Adding to the strain, on March 25, the U.S. government announced a review of Romania’s participation in the Visa Waiver Program, citing the need to „ensure strict security compliance.” During this review, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) suspended the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) for Romanian citizens.

Recently, U.S. media reported that senior officials within the U.S. Department of Defense are reviewing a proposal to withdraw approximately 10,000 American troops from Eastern Europe, including from Romania and Poland. Interim Romanian President Ilie Bolojan (appointed following the electoral crisis) has stated that there are currently no discussions underway regarding such a move.