President Donald Trump gave a patronizing response to a female reporter when asked about his $40 billion bailout of Argentina.
Trump was pressed on concerns among the MAGA faithful that bailing out his ally, Argentina’s President Javier Milei, could hurt American farmers.
“Look, Argentina is fighting for its life, young lady,” Trump snapped. “You don’t know anything about it. They’re fighting for their life. Nothing’s benefiting Argentina. They’re fighting for their life. Do you understand what that means? They have no money. They have no anything. They’re fighting so hard to survive.”
Milei is perhaps the Trump administration’s strongest backer in Latin America, but even some of his closest MAGA allies in the U.S. question the foreign aid.
“I happen to like the president of Argentina. I think he’s trying to do the best he can,” Trump said on Air Force One. “But don’t make it sound like they’re doing great. They are dying. All right? They’re dying.”
The U.S. is pumping billions of dollars into Argentina and arranging a currency swap as the South American country faces an economic crisis under Milei, a chainsaw-wielding Trump ally also pushing aggressive government spending cuts.
The bailout has infuriated many U.S. farmers, who are already suffering from the fallout of Trump’s trade war with China. Tensions between Washington and Beijing reignited after China stopped purchasing American soybeans in retaliation for Trump’s sweeping tariffs.
That gap in China’s soybean supply is now being filled by Argentine farmers, a significant boost for Milei as his ruling party faces midterm elections next month. Beijing’s shift to Argentine soybeans also threatens to weaken U.S. leverage in ongoing trade talks with China as the trade war between the two economic powers intensifies.
Some Republicans and MAGA figures have expressed outrage that the self-proclaimed “America First” president appears more focused on helping his Argentine friend than on addressing issues at home.
“Why would the USA help bail out Argentina while they take American soybean producers’ biggest market???” Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa posted on X last month. “We should use leverage at every turn to help the hurting farm economy. Family farmers should be top of mind in negotiations by representatives of the USA.”
Elsewhere aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters that the U.S. is planning to buy more beef from Argentina, claiming the move will lower prices for American consumers.
“We would buy some beef from Argentina,” Trump said. “If we do that, that will bring our beef prices down.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
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