Can Trump & Milei Build Rome in a Day?

President Trump compares his “Golden Age” economy plan with President McKinley who also pushed tariffs & growth, but after Argentina’s Miraculous Milei (with even bigger hairdo) railed against wokeism in Davos, maybe he’s an Ugly American Cousin?

As David Uberti noted in a recent WSJ article, “In describing his economic priorities, [Trump] has referenced President William McKinley, who presided over an era of rapid industrialization … A deluge of executive orders and directives in the administration’s first two weeks shows a drive toward a more self-reliant economy that makes more products at home, pumps out more of its own oil and gas and employes more U.S. workers. A potentially leaner, meaner government at the center of it all is already throwing the country’s weight around – even against longtime allies – in the hope of bending global trade to America’s will.” WSJ thinks Trump is risking a global trade war with his “tariff the hell out of every foreigner” policies. But, we’ll see how far he goes & the results come in.

In fact, it all sounds like McKinley’s game plan decades ago. Yet, in just a little over a year, Argentina’s President Milei has arguably followed a similar conservative-realpolitik game plan (he calls himself an “libertarian-anarchocapitialist”) to turn his country’s perennially struggling state into an almost balanced budget with a projected 5% growth rate next year. And, Global Finance Magazine called it “a miracle in terms of his cutting down annual inflation from near 300% last April to nearly 100% or about 2.5% monthly.” Whether Milei’s turnaround is “sustainable” also remains questionable, considering Argentina’s checkered economic history. But, Trumpian & Mileiian will power does seem to go a long way in getting at least some quick (promised) results.

Davd Soul