Roy leads 11 Republicans in congratulating Argentina’s Milei on election win

Republican Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) on Wednesday led a group of 11 Republicans in congratulating Argentina’s president-elect Javier Milei, a populist libertarian who has been compared to former President Trump.

“Rep. Roy was proud to lead his House Republican colleagues in congratulating President-elect Milei on his decisive victory in Argentina,” Roy’s press office posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “The coalition looks forward to partnering with @JMilei to advance economic prosperity and security in the Western Hemisphere.”

In the letter, the lawmakers praised Milei’s political platform, writing, “Your message of freedom, liberty, and advancing economic prosperity through limited government and fiscal responsibility has united the Argentine people in a historic way.”

The lawmakers argued Milei’s leadership will help “end rampant inflation brought on by years of leftist fiscal and monetary policy” and help combat the “growing influence” of the Chinese Communist Party, Russia, Venezuela and “repressive socialist ideologies.”

The Republican lawmakers who signed the letter included Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar (Fla.), Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Andy Ogles (Tenn.), Doug Lamborn (Colo.) and Matt Rosendale (Mont.), among others.

Milei was elected Argentina’s president earlier this month in an abrupt shift to the right for the South American country. His win marked the highest percentage a candidate received since the country’s return to constitutional rule in 1983, according to The Associated Press.

Milei, a self-proclaimed “anarcho-capitalist” libertarian, made Argentina’s soaring inflation a large focus of his campaign. He has proposed replacing the local currency, the peso, with the U.S. dollar, and called to eliminate Argentina’s Central Bank.

Milei also proposed boosting the economy by loosening the country’s labor laws and making deep cuts in the government by slashing several ministries, including those centered on culture, women, health and education.

The new leader often appeared on the campaign trail with unkempt hair and holding a chainsaw, a likely nod to his aggressive campaign to destroy the status quo in government. In an appearance in September, Milei wielded a chainsaw spewing diesel fumes in the street while shouting “the caste is trembling,” in reference to the Argentinian government.

Milei’s proposals, rhetoric and behavior sparked comparisons to the views and likeness of U.S. conservatives, notably former President Trump, whom Milei repeatedly praised.

Some compared Milei’s calls to reduce the size of federal government and a purge of the “political caste” from Argentina’s government to Trump’s calls to “drain the swamp” and take on the “deep state” in Washington.

Milei’s vow to bring Argentina back to a past period of greatness also drew comparisons to Trump’s “Make American Great Again” slogan. Milei’s followers often wear hats with the words “Make Argentina Great Again.”

Trump congratulated Milei on his victory in the hours after it was announced earlier this month, telling the president-elect he will “turn [his] country around and truly Make Argentina Great Again.”

Other conservative figures including former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, pundit Ben Shapiro and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) shared similar messages.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.