‘Javier, I’d like to congratulate you on the job you’ve done for Argentina’: Trump and Milei meet at Mar-a-Lago

“Long live freedom, damn it!” With this phrase, Argentina’s President Javier Milei shared a photo on social media of himself alongside U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Both men, dressed in suits and smiling, met informally on Thursday at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida residence. Milei became the first foreign leader to meet in person with the former and future U.S. president following Trump’s election victory on November 5. Businessman Elon Musk was also present at the gathering.

In the photo, Trump, clad in a tuxedo, smiles and gives a thumbs-up next to Milei, who appears slightly more serious. During their first conversation since Trump’s recent win, the president-elect called Milei “my favorite president,” according to Milei’s own account on Wednesday.

The Argentine president’s office also confirmed the meeting between the two leaders and Elon Musk on social media. The General Secretary of the Presidency, Karina Milei (the president’s sister), and the country’s newly appointed Foreign Minister, Gerardo Werthein — who recently served as Argentina’s ambassador to Washington — were also in attendance.

After the meeting, Milei delivered a speech at the America First Policy Institute gala dinner at Mar-a-Lago. In his address, the Argentine president strongly criticized left-wing ideologies and paid tribute to Musk, stating that X, the social network owned by the world’s richest man, is helping to “save humanity.”

He also lavished praise on his host, celebrating Trump’s “resounding victory” at the election. “This has been the greatest political comeback in history, defying the entire political establishment, even at the risk of his own life,” he said, in reference to the assassination attempts against Trump.

In his speech, the Argentine president — who describes himself as an “anarcho-capitalist” — outlined what he views as the key achievements of his first year in office. “One by one, we are solving problems that have been swept under the rug in Argentina for decades. Even problems that the free world has little courage to address, such as the issue of the fiscal deficit. Only five countries in the world are above the line of financial balance; Argentina is one of them. My point is that Argentina can and should be a beacon for the world, a beacon of beacons, even now that the winds of freedom are also blowing in the north, because the world has been plunged into a deep darkness and is crying out to be illuminated.”

The U.S. president-elect reciprocated the praise during his own speech. “Javier, I’d like to congratulate you on the job you’ve done for Argentina,” said Trump. “The job you’ve done is incredible. Make Argentina great again.” He continued: “I’d say you’ve done a fantastic job in a very short period of time. It’s an honor to have you here.”

Before the event at Mar-a-Lago, Milei, who arrived in Florida on Thursday, held private meetings with American business leaders in Miami.

The Argentine president had said that his primary goal for the trip was to build bridges with the incoming U.S. government, which he sees as a strategic ally for the years ahead. He also hopes to secure support to improve Argentina’s terms in its relationship with the International Monetary Fund. Milei aims to negotiate a free trade agreement with the new U.S. leadership team.

Argentina is the largest debtor to the IMF, owing $44 billion. However, Milei’s government hopes to renegotiate the deal and secure an additional $15 billion in loans that would help ease currency and capital controls, which are hindering the country’s recovery from recession.

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