If Donald Trump wins in November, he should look to Argentina’s Javier Milei as a model for dealing with a bloated bureaucracy. There is some fear among Democrats that Trump could go on a revenge tour. With no re-election on the horizon, Trump can and should go all-out against the deep state operatives in all facets of government. These bureaucrats have weaponized their positions against him, and it’s time to clean house. We must await the results of the 2024 elections, but President Milei in Argentina offers a blueprint for how to take decisive action against entrenched government employees.
Argentine President Javier Milei recently announced the layoff of an additional 50,000 state employees, advancing his effort to “reduce the state in half.” This move is part of Milei’s ongoing strategy to cut public spending and reduce the national deficit. In March, Milei proposed slashing 70,000 jobs from Argentina’s public sector, which employs approximately 3.5 million people. Since then, 25,000 positions have been cut, demonstrating Milei’s commitment to his agenda.
Unsurprisingly, public employees have rejected the measure, and some of the largest unions in the country have called for protests. Milei acknowledged the social tension, stating that reducing the number of ministries by half would not be without consequences. Nevertheless, he remains steadfast in his mission to fix Argentina’s severe economic issues, including an inflation rate that has surged to over 250 percent and a poverty rate impacting 57 percent of the population. Milei has taken bold steps, such as slashing state subsidies, devaluing the currency, and closing several state agencies, to address the crisis.
Milei is making radical changes despite his party not having majority support in the legislature. His agenda has produced tangible results. Decades of ‘Peronism’ led to Argentina being engulfed in an inflation crisis, with almost half the country living in poverty. Milei’s colorful personality, known for hauling out chainsaws at rallies and blaming “s**t leftists” for the country’s woes, resonated with voters who elected him despite opposition attempts to frame him as a threat to democracy.
In May, Argentina’s inflation was cut down to 11 percent after soaring past 300 percent, and the country posted a surplus for the first time since 2008. Milei’s success shows that decisive action can yield significant results. If Trump takes a similar approach, he could effectively drain the swamp and address the deep-seated issues within the U.S. government bureaucracy.
