President-elect Donald Trump met Argentina President Javier Milei at his Mar-a-Lago resort Thursday. This was his first meeting with a world leader since winning the elections last week.
What Happened: Milei congratulated Trump on his election victory, lending support to the shared ideas of liberty and economic prosperity, Bloomberg reported.
“Today, the winds of freedom are blowing much stronger,” he said in Spanish at the America First Policy Institute event. “I am exhilarated to be able to share with the new U.S. administration the same level of freedom, and I’m convinced that together we will restore it to the place it deserves.
Milei, who assumed office a year ago, also praised tech mogul Elon Musk, who was in the audience, for promoting free speech through X.
Trump, in turn, acknowledged Milei’s speech, stating, “Your speech was beautiful, but the job you’ve done is incredible.”
Why It Matters: Milei has earned praise from Trump for his economic policies. During an interview with Musk In August, the president-elect highlighted Argentina’s prosperity under Milei’s leadership, drawing parallels to his own “Make America Great Again” policy.
There has been significant bonhomie between Musk and Milei as well. The two met warmly in September on the sidelines of Argentina’s national speech to the United Nations General Assembly.
Prior to that, Musk expressed his admiration for Milei’s efforts in restoring Argentina’s stature.
Milei secured victory in the November elections after promising large cuts in public spending to address Argentina’s fiscal deficit and increasing inflation. His libertarian stance is also reflected in his support for Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), making him one of the very few heads of state to openly endorse the asset.
However, the president has also faced criticism for his austerity measures, with many taking to the streets to oppose his attempts to halt the increase in pension spending.
resident of the Republic of Armenia via Wikimedia Commons
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