Argentina’s leader also lashes so-called woke ideology during fiery speech in Davos.
The chainsaw-wielding cavalry has arrived.
Argentinian President Javier Milei on Thursday defended Elon Musk’s “innocent” hand gesture, after the key adviser to United States President Donald Trump was accused of giving a “Nazi salute.”
“My dear friend Elon Musk, who has been unjustly vilified by wokeism ideology of recent days for an innocent gesture that simply reflects his enthusiasm and gratitude towards people,” Milei said, during an anti-woke broadside in Davos, Switzerland.
Tech billionaire Musk was roundly criticized by the European left wing after his stiff-armed salute went viral at a Trump Inauguration Day party in Washington on Monday.
Musk later denounced the criticism as “dirty tricks” from his opponents. “The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired,” he said. On Thursday, Musk was also backed up by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who said the Tesla chief was being “falsely smeared.”
Covering familiar ground during his speech, Argentina’s leader blamed international organizations such as the World Economic Forum — the event at which he was speaking — for “promoting the sinister agenda of wokeism.”
Milei said that the global political landscape had shifted since his previous appearance at the event in 2024, declaring that Argentina is no longer alone in its fight for “liberty” as the world’s political winds blow to the right.
Milei, a self-described anarcho-capitalist, was elected president of Argentina in November 2023 after promising to dismantle state bureaucracy, reduce public spending and oppose so-called woke ideologies during a provocative election campaign.
Since taking office, he has won praise for boosting confidence in Argentina’s struggling economy through policies such as cutting public spending and reducing energy subsidies. His critics, however, argue that Milei’s austerity measures and focus on reducing government spending have led to an increase in poverty during his time in office.
Milei is bullish about the future, as he sees like-minded leaders flocking to his cause.
“I have found allies in this battle for the ideas of freedom in every corner of the world,” he said, listing prominent figures he believes are part of this alliance.
“From the visionary Elon Musk to that fierce Italian leader, my dear Giorgia Meloni; from Bukele in El Salvador to Viktor Orbán in Hungary; from Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel to Donald Trump in the United States.”