US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Argentina’s President Javier Milei had a “lot of help” from the United States in his party’s midterm election victory. His remarks came after Milei celebrated his party’s sweeping win in Sunday’s polls.
The Trump administration had earlier extended a major financial bailout to Argentina but warned it could reconsider support if Milei underperformed. Trump congratulated Milei on his “landslide victory” and said he was doing a “wonderful job.”
Speaking on a trip to Asia, Trump hailed what he called an unexpectedly “big win” and said it was “a great thing.”
“He had a lot of help from us. He had a lot of help. I gave him an endorsement, a very strong endorsement,” Trump said, also crediting some of his top officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who oversaw the financial assistance to Argentina.
“Congratulations to President Javier Milei on his Landslide Victory in Argentina. He is doing a wonderful job! Our confidence in him was justified by the People of Argentina,” Trump said through a post on Truth Social.
Trump’s support for Milei ahead of the vote included a $20 billion currency swap that is already signed and a proposed $20 billion debt investment facility.
“We’ve made a lot of money based on that election, because the bonds have gone up. Their whole debt rating has gone up,” Trump said, but added that the United States was “not in that for the money, per se.”
Milei's La Libertad Avanza (LLA) party rebounded from a series of setbacks to win 40.7 percent of the votes cast for members of Congress, far outpacing the opposition in an election closely watched by jittery investors.
"Today we reached a turning point. Today begins the construction of a great Argentina," the 55-year-old president told supporters at a victory party in Buenos Aires.
(With agency inputs)
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