United States President Donald Trump stood alongside Argentine President Javier Milei at the White House, announcing the official deal that would see the United States provide the South American nation with $20 billion in exchange for Argentina's beleaguered currency.
Both Trump and the U.S. Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, admitted that the agreement was not primarily economic but political, as the Trump administration viewed it as a priority to support an ideological ally facing domestic pushback before an important national election. Trump stressed that this economic lifeline would remain in place only if Milei’s party retained power.
A couple of weeks later, Milei and his right-wing libertarian party won those legislative elections, gaining around 40 per cent of the vote and eliminating the opposition's veto power. Trump was quick to claim victory, saying his endorsement had boosted Milei and secured his win.
This was not the only time someone in the Trump administration had directly intervened in a foreign political election. In January, conservative tech billionaire Elon Musk, who previously held an official position within the administration, gave direct support to Germany's far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, saying they were the only ones who could “save Germany.”
In February, both Musk and Milei shared the stage during the American Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) conference in Washington, D.C., where Milei presented Musk with a gold chainsaw in reference to his original presidential campaign. However, it was not only Milei and Musk who attended, but also other prominent international far-right figures, including UK Reform Party leader Nigel Farage, Spain’s Vox Party head Santiago Abascal, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Connecting all of these figures, and also in attendance, was far-right commentator and political strategist Steve Bannon. Formerly Trump’s official Chief Strategist at the beginning of his first term, Bannon was pushed out by more moderate conservative forces but remained loyal to his former boss.
As Bannon left the White House in 2016, right-wing groups continued to see success across Western countries, and he turned his focus internationally. Bannon, along with many other right-wing influencers, sought not to build localised far-right movements, but international ones.
Milei’s visit to the White House demonstrated how far this has come along. But as Trump made a joke that MAGA meant “Make Argentina Great Again”, it exposed the potential and limitations of their cooperation. While Milei’s government would be safe for now, Trump’s comment highlighted the limitations of “America First”, that if America was first, why would his movement care about Argentina.