US President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to withdraw financial assistance to Argentina if the country’s internal politics stray from his administration’s interests ahead of its midterm elections later this month.
Trump made the comments during a White House meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei — a close ideological ally — saying the US would not “waste our time” if Milei’s coalition failed to hold power. “We’re not going to let somebody get into office and squander American taxpayer money,” Trump said, adding, “If he loses, we won’t be generous with Argentina.”
Washington recently approved a $20 billion package to Buenos Aires, which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent insisted was not a bailout but a move to support “a great philosophy taking over a great country.”
During the meeting, Trump hailed Milei as “MAGA all the way” — a nod to both his own “Make America Great Again” slogan and Milei’s domestic spin, “Make Argentina Great Again.”
After Milei’s party suffered a local election defeat in September, the Trump administration intervened directly in Argentina’s currency market, allowing Buenos Aires to swap up to $20 billion worth of pesos for dollars — a move that stabilised markets but triggered sharp criticism at home.
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