Staff Reports
Guess who didn’t pick up the phone to congratulate Argentina’s president-elect Javier Milei on his huge win? That’s right, ol’ Joe Biden. Milei, a fiery libertarian-conservative, crushed the establishment candidate in Argentina’s presidential runoff, making history with the widest victory margin since the country returned to democracy in 1983. But did Biden bother to send a warm and fuzzy congratulatory message? Nope, nada, zilch!
While Biden was quick to shower Liberia’s president-elect Joseph Boakai with praise for his “free and fair elections,” he seemed to have conveniently forgotten Milei. The White House was asked why Biden didn’t offer his personal congratulations, but they conveniently dodged the question. Typical, right? When asked about Milei’s desire to visit the U.S. before his inauguration, the response was just a dull reiteration of the Secretary of State’s statement.
Biden has yet to congratulate libertarian President-elect Javier Milei of Argentina on his election victoryhttps://t.co/3dpMXSj8AY pic.twitter.com/iyYbrklZwZ
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) November 22, 2023
And let’s not forget Milei’s conservative and libertarian views that don’t exactly align with Biden’s pet policies. We’re talking climate change, abortion, sex education, and gun control here, folks. The Biden gang was silent on Milei’s positions, of course. Can’t have those differences in opinion getting in the way of a good ol’ congratulatory message, now can we?
But hold on, the State Department and the White House national security council did manage to make some lukewarm comments about Milei’s win. Better late than never? Yeah, right. They talked about democratic processes and human rights, as if that makes up for the lack of a personal pat on the back from Biden himself.
The consolation prize for Milei came in the form of some diplomatic mumbo-jumbo from White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, and national security spokesman, John Kirby. It was all about “strong bilateral relationship” and “shared commitment to human rights,” as if that’s what Milei really wanted.
Oh, and don’t get too excited. The White House did manage to squeeze in statements about the ratification of some auto workers’ agreements and Transgender Day of Remembrance. Yeah, because we all know those are way more important than acknowledging a historic win in Argentina. Way to go, Biden.
So there you have it, folks. Biden dropped the ball big time in acknowledging Milei’s victory, leaving Argentina on read while finding time for everything else under the sun. Classic.
