US President Donald Trump said that his country’s $20 billion bailout for Argentina was contingent on Javier Milei’s party prevailing in midterm elections.
Buenos Aires is suffering a currency crisis; in a meeting in Washington, Trump reiterated Washington’s willingness to help, but added that “if he loses, we are not going to be generous.” Milei and Trump consider themselves political bedfellows, although they have very different approaches: The libertarian Milei has removed tariffs and import controls, while Trump has imposed new ones.
Trump often ties diplomacy up with politics, though not always successfully: His comments during Canada’s election hurt the Conservative Party’s prospects, and Brazil’s left-wing leader has seen a poll boost following Trump’s criticism of him.
