Trump Jr. campaigning for his father in Iowa, November 2016. Image by Max Goldberg via Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0.
This article was originally published in Russian on April 29, 2025, on NewsMaker.Md. Global Voices translated the article, edited it for clarity, and is republishing it with added context under a media partnership agreement.
The mayor of Chișinău, Ion Ceban, posted a photo on social media on April 28 with Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of US President Donald Trump. Ceban said he met Trump’s son at an event in Bucharest and captioned the photo: “Make Moldova Great Again.”
Ceban shared that he not only took a picture with Donald Trump Jr., but also managed to discuss “a number of topics, including relations between Moldova and the United States.” Additionally, according to Ceban, the two “agreed to continue the dialogue.” The photo with the US president's son was captioned “Make Moldova Great Again,” a slight adaptation of the slogan popularized by US President Donald Trump.
Ceban's photo with Trump sparked discussions on social media. Some pointed out the complicated relationship between the Moldovan authorities and Washington after Donald Trump became the President of the United States.
Moldova has faced problems with the abrupt suspension of USAID programs. The country benefited from USAID's funding since 1992, receiving nearly USD 2.5 billion, and implementing projects in numerous sectors, including education, tourism, agriculture, industry, information technology, public administration, justice reform, anti-corruption efforts, energy development, road infrastructure, media, and civil society. The suspension of USAID has forced the Moldovan government and NGOs to seek alternative funding from Europe. It had also put Moldova's energy security in danger because the construction of high-voltage line between Romania and Moldova has also been affected.
Others interpreted the photo as evidence of US support for the Moldovan opposition.
As Reuters reported in February, coalition of opposition parties was created in Moldova in advance of parliamentary elections. The “Alternative” coalition will bring together Chișinău mayor Ion Ceban's party, former prime minister Ion Chicu's party and former lawmaker Marc Tcaciuc's party. The coalition is for the European integration of the country, and criticizes the current president Maia Sandu and her PAS party for being inefficient and ignoring the public interest.
Still others took the opportunity to poke fun at the Mayor of Chișinău. One user said: “Make Ceban Smart Again!”
It is known that Trump Jr. visited Bucharest as part of a European tour covering Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Serbia. In the Romanian capital, the US President’s son attended a business event organized by businessman Adrian Thiess. After Bucharest, Trump Jr. traveled to Sofia. The stated purpose of the tour is to expand the Trump family's business interests and strengthen ties with conservative political allies in the region, according to Romanian media.
