Chainsaw-toting Argentina president Javier Milei becomes first foreign leader to meet Trump since election
15 November 2024, 10:30
Argentina president Javier Milei has become the first foreign leader to meet Donald Trump since he won the US election.
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Mr Milei, who has praised Mr Trump in the past, met the president-elect at his Florida residence Mar-a-Lago, on Thursday.
The meeting was confirmed by a person who insisted on anonymity to discuss a meeting that had not yet been announced publicly.
The person said the meeting went well and Mr Milei also met with investors.
Mr Trump spoke briefly in English, then gave a longer speech in Spanish that was translated by an interpreter.
He slammed left-wing ideologies and saluted Elon Musk, saying his social media site X is helping to "save humanity".
Mr Milei later spoke to the America First Policy Institute gala at Mar-a-Lago.
Shortly after Mr Milei's election in November 2023, Mr Trump posted on social media: "You will turn your country around and truly Make Argentina Great Again!"
Mr Milei first met Mr Trump in February at the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, in the Washington area.
He has openly declared his admiration for the US president-elect and when he saw him, he rushed to him screaming "president!" and gave him a close hug before they posed for pictures.
The Argentine president is known for his eccentric personality and first made a name for himself by shouting against Argentina's "political caste" on television.
The right-wing populist campaigned with a chainsaw as his prop to symbolise his plans to slash public spending and scrap government ministries.
Iain Dale reacts to Donald Trump's pick to lead the US health department
The meeting comes as Donald Trump raised eyebrows with his Cabinet picks after beating Kamala Harris in the presidential election.
He picked Robert F Kennedy Jr to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, a longitme vaccine sceptic who has vowed to "make America healthy again".
Among Mr Trump's other nominations:
- Pete Hegseth, a TV presenter with military experience, as his defence secretary
- Tulsi Gabbard, a vocal sceptic of the war in Ukraine, as his intelligence chief
- Matt Gaetz, a former Congressman who faced an investigation into sex trafficking, as his attorney-general
- Mr Musk as the head of a department to investigate government waste
