Trump’s $20B to Argentina sparks MAGA backlash

As the United States and the Trump administration enter the third week of a government shutdown, the president has approved a $20 billion bailout for Argentina, a country battling soaring inflation and a collapsing currency.

The move is reverberating through Washington — and unsettling many within his MAGA base.

«We’re going to help them. I don’t think they need a bailout.»

The plan, built around a U.S.-backed currency swap and direct financial support, represents one of the most controversial and far-reaching American interventions in Latin America in decades.

The White House calls it a «stabilization measure to protect regional markets», while critics argue it’s a risky move that contradicts Trump’s «America First» message.

Asked about the plan during a press briefing at the White House in late September, President Trump downplayed the term “bailout,” insisting that the move was meant to stabilize Argentina’s economy, saying, «We’re going to help them. I don’t think they need a bailout.»

«What are we doing? We’re buying out Argentina? Like, huh?»

«America First»: revolt brews inside Trump’s own movement

The backlash from Trump’s own party was swift. Republican lawmakers and MAGA-aligned figures accused the administration of betraying its «America First» principles by sending billions abroad while U.S. farmers struggle under new tariffs.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley questioned, «Why would the U.S. help bail out Argentina while they take American soybean producers’ biggest market?»

Speaking to reporters in the Capitol hallway after the bailout was announced, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene expressed disbelief, saying, «What are we doing? We’re buying out Argentina? Like, huh?»

Anger is particularly strong among soybean growers, who fear the bailout will strengthen Argentina, a direct competitor in exports to China.

Some in Trump’s circle defend the move as a way to counter Beijing’s influence and expand U.S. business access in Argentina. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins faced criticism after leaked messages showed her privately warning about the bailout’s impact on crop prices, even as she publicly endorsed it.

Make Argentina great again

During their October 14 meeting at the White House, Donald Trump reaffirmed U.S. support for Argentina’s economy, saying «We’re going to help them», while President Javier Milei praised the $20 billion aid package as «fantastic» and both leaders pledged closer trade and economic cooperation.

Javier Milei has been president of Argentina since December 2023. Nicknamed «El Loco» and often called «the Trump of the Pampas», he has openly aligned himself with Trump’s style and rhetoric.

During his campaign, he echoed Trump’s slogan, declaring: «We will make Argentina great again.»