OXON HILL, Md. — During a speech on Saturday, Argentina’s President Javier Milei called on an eager audience of U.S. conservatives to persist in their efforts to reduce government size, drawing parallels between his approach and that of former President Donald Trump and entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Milei, known for advocating significant governmental cuts, made a memorable appearance at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held in the suburbs of Maryland. The event featured Musk energetically waving a chainsaw, which has become a symbol of Milei’s radical proposals for dismantling expansive government structures.
In his address, delivered in Spanish, Milei voiced his endorsement of the Trump administration’s initiatives to eliminate the U.S. Agency for International Development, deeming it misaligned with the president’s objectives and financially irresponsible.
“The only rational path is to shrink the size of the state to its minimum,” Milei declared, asserting that reducing government size is inherently just. Trump, addressing the audience later, expressed his pride in Milei’s leadership.
Milei cited the significant libertarian thinker Albert J. Nock, referencing his 1935 publication, “Our Enemy, the State,” which discusses the conflict between government authority and societal influence. “Our method resembles that of our good friend Elon Musk,” Milei explained. “We approach it step by step, maintaining effective parts and eliminating the unnecessary. That’s the reason I presented him with a chainsaw.”
During his 2023 campaign, Milei utilized a different chainsaw as a visual aid to represent his campaign theme focused on trimming down government excesses. The red chainsaw given to Musk was inscribed with Milei’s catchy slogan “Viva la libertad, carajo,” translating to “Long live liberty, damn it.”
Musk had previously discussed the concept of creating a taskforce to reduce the federal workforce during an interview with Trump, where they both praised Milei’s aggressive austerity measures. He had successfully implemented cuts, leading to substantial layoffs in the public sector and a reduction in pensions, aimed at reversing the economic turmoil that led Argentina to default on its debts.
Last year, Milei had attended CPAC and shared a heartfelt moment with Trump backstage, becoming the first foreign leader to meet him after his electoral victory, prior to Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Later on Saturday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni released a video address emphasizing Europe’s pivotal role and its vital partnership with the United States. “You may view Europe as distant, but let me assure you, that is not the case,” Meloni stated, positioning herself as a significant ally of Trump within Europe.
She reiterated her staunch support for Ukraine, commending the nation’s courageous stand against “brutal aggression” from Russia. In the meantime, Trump has sent senior foreign policy advisors to Saudi Arabia for direct discussions with Russian officials, omitting Ukrainian and European representatives from the talks.
Despite some misleading assertions claiming Ukraine initiated the conflict, Trump acknowledged on Friday that Russia had indeed launched an attack against its neighbor, a war that began in February 2022.
Before his public address, Trump praised Poland’s commitment to boosting defense spending after a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda, underscoring the strong alliance between their two nations, per reports from the White House.
