Comparisons have been made between former President Donald Trump and Argentina’s new president-elect, Javier Milei, who was elected on Sunday.
Milei officially joined the political realm when he became a lawmaker in 2021. Before that, he was a university economic professor and chief economist at Corporación America, a large business conglomerate in charge of most of the country’s airports.
Due to his fierceness, as well as his unruly curls, Milei’s supporters refer to him as “the madman” and “the wig,” meanwhile he has taken to calling himself “ the lion.”
The 53-year-old economist is known for believing that sex education is a Marxist plot to destroy the family, according to the AP, as well as referring to his cloned mastiffs as his “children with four paws,” suggesting people be allowed to sell their vital organs, and vowing to fight against the onset of socialism in society.
He has a similar sentiment to Trump's “Make America Great Again,'' as he vowed to return the country to greatness and reclaim its place in the world. Milei’s supporters have even been seen wearing “Making Argentina Great Again” hats.
Milei is a self-described “anarcho-capitalist” who favors the loosening of the country’s labor laws and recommends a much smaller government in order to boost economic growth. This smaller government would reportedly consist of eliminating half of the government ministries, including health and education.
Milei has already made good on that promise, as he announced Monday that the Argentinian Ministry of Women, Gender and Equality will close in 21 days.
Due to his advocacy of extreme cuts, he has sometimes campaigned while revving a chainsaw in his hand.
Milei does have an economic proposal for Argentina, and at the center of it is a motion to replace the country’s current currency with the U.S. dollar. He also believes that the only way to put an end to the suffering inflation is to stop politicians from printing more money, which is consistent with his plan to terminate the Central Bank.
Milei sees himself as a culture warrior with a mission to shake up Argentina’s society. His stances often reflect that of the more conservative Republican in the U.S. with him opposing feminist policies, abortion, as well as denying that humans have a role in climate change.
Trump congratulated Milei on Sunday by posting on his Truth Social platform telling him he will “truly Make Argentina Great Again.”
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