Argentina’s Milei backs Trump for US midterms, calls vote crucial for West

The President’s state says conservatives “cannot springiness an inch” successful Latin America arsenic helium accepts an grant successful Washington.

Argentine President Javier Milei has urged his ally, US President Donald Trump, to travel retired of the United States midterm elections successful a stronger position, calling the ballot important for the West arsenic a whole.

Milei made the entreaty connected Wednesday astatine a Hispanic Heritage gala successful Washington, wherever a Hispanic relation gave him an award, up of November’s vote.

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Conservatives, helium said, “cannot springiness an inch successful our reconquest of the hemisphere”, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Milei flew into the US superior connected Wednesday for meetings with investors and the gala. He is owed to code the US Chamber of Commerce connected Thursday.

Argentina’s President Javier Milei attends the Hispanic Heritage Gala successful Washington, DC, connected October 14, 2026 [Alex Wroblewski/AFP]

Milei’s lifeline

Trump firmly backed Milei a twelvemonth ago, erstwhile his authorities besides faced important legislative elections. He has called Milei his “favorite president”.

That backing, unneurotic with a currency swap statement with the US Treasury, helped Milei to occurrence successful those polls, analysts person argued.

The centrepiece of the package, announced by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, was a $20bn swap with Argentina’s cardinal bank, successful which the US exchanged dollars for pesos. The swap came soon aft Milei’s enactment mislaid a cardinal provincial election.

Trump made wide astatine the clip that the support hinged connected a Milei victory. “I’m with this antheral due to the fact that his doctrine is correct,” helium said up of a White House luncheon with the Argentine leader. “If helium wins, we’re staying with him. And if helium doesn’t win, we’re gone.”

Trump besides warned that the US would not beryllium “generous” if Milei lost. The remarks unsettled Argentine markets, with the main banal scale giving up earlier gains and falling astir 2 percent, The Associated Press reported.

The bundle drew disapproval successful the US. Democratic lawmakers accused Trump of prioritising a overseas bailout portion the US authorities was unopen down.