Javier Milei, the right-wing populist president of Argentina, made headlines this weekend for his enthusiastic embrace of former President Donald Trump at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington. The meeting came just a day after Milei met with officials from President Joe Biden’s administration in Buenos Aires.
Milei, who took office in December after a campaign inspired by Trump, donned caps reading “Make Argentina Great Again,” mirroring Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. The two leaders shared a hug backstage at CPAC, with Milei exclaiming, “President!” before being captured on video posted by a member of Trump’s campaign team.
During his speech at CPAC, Milei echoed Trump’s popular themes on immigration, socialism, and freedom. He urged attendees to oppose socialism and resist further economic regulation, while denouncing abortion access as a “killer agenda.”
Despite a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken the day before, Milei faced some pushback from the US ambassador in Buenos Aires, who reportedly suggested it was not appropriate for Milei to speak at CPAC. However, Milei’s security minister, Patricia Bullrich, clarified that the president would deliver a general speech without touching on election-related topics.
Trump, who introduced himself as a “proud political dissident” at CPAC, has drawn comparisons to Russian dissident Alexei Navalny following Navalny’s recent death in custody. Trump faces legal challenges including 91 charges and four civil trials for offenses such as bribery and attempting to invalidate an election.
The conference also featured appearances by other notable figures from the international extreme right, including El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, Spain’s Vox party leader Santiago Abascal, and Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro.
The meeting between Milei and Trump underscores the growing connections between right-wing populist leaders on the global stage, as they rally against perceived threats to freedom and democracy.