Trump buying Argentina for $40 billion?

[Dauphin]

Only seen headlines, someone please explain how this is America First? What is the US actually getting out of this (or perhaps more accurately, is Trump getting backhanders somehow)?

Also, is flagrant interference in foreign elections now such a staple of US politics that it needn't be hidden? With reference to support being conditional on a particular person winning re-election. In a bygone era that would have been impeachable, right?

[SlowwHand]

Any port in a storm, huh?

[Dauphin]

Is Trump the port or the storm in that price of fish comment?

[SlowwHand]

It means some people will twist anything in their effort to slam Trump.

[Broken_Erika]

Trump says US will not 'waste our time' helping Argentina if Milei loses

President Donald Trump has acknowledged that a $20bn (£15bn) US lifeline to help calm Argentina's currency crisis is an attempt to sway legislative elections this month in the South American nation.
Welcoming Argentina's libertarian leader Javier Milei to the White House, Trump warned that the US would not "waste our time" with helping Argentina if Milei's party did not prevail.
Milei praised Trump for his peacemaking efforts and said the US president's policies would lead to "prosperity".
Argentina's financial turmoil comes ahead of national midterm elections on 26 October, seen as a test of voters' desire to continue backing Milei's cost-cutting, free-market reform agenda.

As Trump sat across the table from his Argentine counterpart on Tuesday, he said the not-so-quiet bit out loud.
"The election is coming up very soon," he said. "It's a very big election."
Trump added: "Victory [for Milei] is very important. Your poll numbers I hear are pretty good. I think they will be better after this.

"And, you know, our approvals are somewhat subject to who wins the election."
A presidential election is not due in Argentina until 2027. But Trump said if "a socialist wins" then the US would feel "a lot differently" about supporting the South American nation.
"If he loses, we are not going to be generous with Argentina," Trump said.
For his part, Milei blamed Argentina's economic woes on his political adversaries.
"This liquidity problem that Argentina has is a result of the political attacks we have suffered from our opponents," he told Trump.

• How Milei's 'Thatcherite' economics divided his nation - but won over Trump
• Trump is bailing out Argentina. What happened to 'America first'?

Trump's backing for his libertarian ally, who took office in December 2023, is no secret.
He said the bailout was "just helping a great philosophy take over a great country", and the White House has framed it as supporting an important regional ally.
But Trump's explicit linking of a recently announced $20bn currency swap between the US and Argentina to Milei's electoral prospects is notable for an American president who has previously railed against foreign interference in elections.

In recent provincial elections in Buenos Aires, Milei's La Libertad Avanza coalition (Freedom Advances) performed worse than expected, spooking markets as they watch for any sign his economic programme's days might be numbered.
His party has recently been rocked by several corruption scandals.
If Milei's party loses seats, or fails to gain more, in this month's midterms – that could affect his government's ability to pass further reforms.
Several key vetoes he has tried to make have already been overturned by Congress, where he doesn't have a majority.
But will US support actually make a difference?
Argentine stocks fell after Tuesday's news conference.
This intervention, which was supposed to stabilise the economy in Argentina, now seemed to hinge on Milei securing more political support.
And it seems the financial markets are unconvinced that Trump's endorsement will be enough to boost Milei's electoral chances.
This currency swap was, economically speaking, supposed to be a bit of a lifeline for Argentina's currency – the peso, which has been losing value for years.
As a means to control inflation, Milei had been stopping the peso from devaluing too drastically by keeping it propped up with the country's reserves.
The problem with that is that it drained reserves ahead of $20bn of debt due next year.
That led to fears, including among investors, that the country was heading for a financial crisis if it defaulted on its debts again.
Some thought that to avert this Milei might have to let the currency devalue drastically – which would lead to a spike in prices as people's money would suddenly be worth less.
Many economists told me they thought this would be "political suicide". So, perhaps the US intervention helps avoid that political disaster.
But is this really going to cut through to ordinary voters? Opinion polls suggest that some Argentines are tiring of Milei's sharp austerity measures.
His supporters hail them for bringing down inflation and cutting the deficit.
But they've come at a social cost – with large cuts to pensions, education, health, infrastructure, and transport and utilities subsidies among other things.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7n82gd7pvo

[SlowwHand]

A lot of writing. Is there a point that illustrates the title?

[DinoDoc]

Slow, you'd help your case if you could articulate the benefit we get from bailing out a political ally of Trump

[SlowwHand]

To what end? It's not like he'll pay attention.

[DinoDoc]

I think you're doing Dauphin a disservice. They're willing to listen to others in my experience

[Lorizael]

I know it doesn't seem like it given whom you've decided to support, but you are actually allowed to have principles. You don't have to sacrifice all notions of conservatism at the altar of Trump's personality cult.

[The Mad Monk]

A lot of writing. Is there a point that illustrates the title?

As Trump sat across the table from his Argentine counterpart on Tuesday, he said the not-so-quiet bit out loud.
"The election is coming up very soon," he said. "It's a very big election."
Trump added: "Victory [for Milei] is very important. Your poll numbers I hear are pretty good. I think they will be better after this.

"And, you know, our approvals are somewhat subject to who wins the election."
A presidential election is not due in Argentina until 2027. But Trump said if "a socialist wins" then the US would feel "a lot differently" about supporting the South American nation.
"If he loses, we are not going to be generous with Argentina," Trump said.

[Dauphin]

To what end? It's not like he'll pay attention.

I may disagree with you, but I respect you and will listen to any cogent argument you make. To give you a hint, tell me why this is not really that different to politics of the post WWII era, it’s just more visible? Before we overthrew from the shadows via the CIA, but now it’s open and transparent and arguably better?

If I’m ever down your way (and I have family in Austin, not too far from you, right?). I’d gladly buy us some beers (or whatever your preference is) and get to learn about your viewpoints and life experiences. I would hope you’d be willing and to hear my positions and understand why I hold them.

My positions are not fixed, if I can see my beliefs don’t match reality, I change my beliefs.

[SlowwHand]

I'm in Richardson, a North Dallas suburb.
If the occasion arises, let me know.

[BeBMan]

He's also toying with the idea of (tax) money for farmers (again), to save them from the impact of his own tarrifs:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3rvy3z3rllo

We may need a "Is Trump a communist" thread if that continues.

[N35t0r]

Only seen headlines, someone please explain how this is America First? What is the US actually getting out of this (or perhaps more accurately, is Trump getting backhanders somehow)?

Also, is flagrant interference in foreign elections now such a staple of US politics that it needn't be hidden? With reference to support being conditional on a particular person winning re-election. In a bygone era that would have been impeachable, right?

While I'm pretty sure that Milei being the clown that he is and celebrating Trump at every opportunity is Trump's main (only?) reason for doing this, the actual bailout and details are more probably related to:

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/09/trump-argentina-bailout-hedge-fund-billionaire-rob-citrone-scott-bessent/

Bessent’s announcement had massive economic benefits for one American: billionaire hedge fund manager Rob Citrone, who has placed large bets on the future of the Argentine economy. Citrone, the co-founder of Discovery Capital Management, is also a friend and former colleague of Bessent—a fact that has not been previously reported in US media outlets. Citrone, by his own account, helped make Bessent very wealthy.

Since Javier Milei, a right-wing populist, became president of Argentina in December 2023, Citrone has invested heavily in Argentina.

This created an economic panic, with investors dumping the peso and liquidating other Argentine assets.

Milei has desperately attempted to keep inflation in check. Last week Argentina’s “central bank spent more than $1 billion to shore up the peso.” But Argentina was running out of foreign currency. That spelled trouble for Citrone.

In early September, days before Bessent’s announcement, Citrone purchased more Argentine bonds.

[Geronimo]

thanks for posting this.