US President Donald Trump has claimed that Argentina’s President Javier Milei received significant help from the United States in securing his party’s midterm election victory. Speaking on Monday, Trump said that Washington’s financial and political backing played a big role in Milei’s “unexpectedly big win.”
“He had a lot of help from us. I gave him a very strong endorsement,” Trump said, adding that the US offered Argentina a bailout package potentially worth $40 billion before the vote. He also credited Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for overseeing the financial aid that was designed to stabilize Argentina’s struggling economy.
According to reports, the US provided two key financial measures ahead of the election, a $20 billion currency swap deal and a proposed $20 billion debt investment facility. Trump said the move had not only supported Milei’s campaign but also benefited the US financially. “We’ve made a lot of money based on that election because the bonds have gone up, their debt rating has gone up,” he said, though he insisted that “the United States was not in it for the money.”
Bessent, speaking to reporters while traveling with Trump, called the support a “bridge” to help Milei fix Argentina’s economy. “He’s working against 100 years of bad policies,” Bessent said. “He’s gonna break them thanks to support from the United States.”
Fitch Ratings noted that the US assistance prevented a downgrade of Argentina’s credit rating but cautioned that the country still needed a long-term plan to rebuild its foreign reserves for further improvement.
Javier Milei and his love for dogs
Milei, known for his eccentric personality and radical economic ideas, continues to attract attention worldwide. The Argentine leader, who often speaks of consulting his dogs for advice, claims his late pet mastiff, Conan, inspired him to enter politics. After Conan’s death in 2017, Milei reportedly had him cloned, creating five identical dogs whom he now calls his “best strategists.”
ALSO READ: Argentina’s Milei vows more reforms after election triumph
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
