WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump’s bailout of Argentina is not going over well with some members of his party, including conservatives and MAGA-type Republicans.
“It’s not my favorite,” said Sen. Josh Hawley (Mo.), a GOP populist who has echoed Trump’s arguments against U.S. entanglements abroad. “My gut instinct is to be a little wary,” he added in a Wednesday interview.
“I am against bailing out any countries,” said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). “We have a big debt problem in our country. So if we had an extra $20 billion laying around, we should put it towards our own debt.”
Farm state Republicans ― including Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota ― have also raised concerns about the U.S. providing financial aid to a country that immediately turned around and sold its soybean crops to China, undercutting U.S. farmers who are hurting from Trump’s tariffs.
“When you’re an America First administration, talking America First all the time, and then give $20 billion to Argentina, who then turns around and sells to your market and undercuts it ― the brand gets damaged a little,” Cramer told Punchbowl News.
