The U.S. Treasury has announced that it is providing Argentina with a $20 billion currency swap, essentially an emergency credit line that constitutes a large-scale rescue of a failing economy. The US Treasury, led by Secretary Scott Bessent, has defended the $20 billion currency swap as a legal and strategic move to stabilize Argentina’s economy, which is seen as “of systemic importance” to US interests. Bessent is a close Ally of  Russell Vought, head of the White House Office of Management and Budget. Vought is a chief architect of Project 2025, the extremely conservative agenda that was created as a roadmap to transform the United States. Under Trump, it has achieved almost half of its goals, according to a website that follows policy implementation. Despite Trump pretending to be unfamiliar with the project while he campaigned, his administration has wasted no time in achieving most of its agenda, with more set to come soon.

The evidence supports the suspicion that the giving of billions of tax dollars to the failing economy of Argentina is primarily motivated by Trump’s ego and the flattery of Argentina’s leader Javier Milei towards Trump. It is a stark example of Trump’s uncontrolled vanity responding to Milie, who was the first world leader to visit Trump at Mar-a-Lago after the election. He was one of only two world leaders to attend Trump’s inauguration. During the United Nations General Assembly in New York, a “desperate” Milei met with Trump. The meeting featured mutual praise and back-patting, which was quickly followed by an offer of a $20 billion lifeline from the U.S. Treasury. Perhaps no world leader has embraced Trump and his political approach more than Milei,

Meanwhile, the US federal government is two weeks into a shutdown, and US businesses and industries continue to suffer from Trump’s ongoing trade war. Argentina has already gone through more than $50 billion in IMF funds. Despite the assurances of U.S. officials, there is skepticism that Argentina can achieve a different result with this currency swap. “It is inexplicable that President Trump is propping up a foreign government, while he shuts down our own,” said Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. In the meantime, members of Congress stand by mute and complicit by not requiring congressional approval for what is obviously beyond the power of the president without congressional approval. At the same time, Trump is using the shutdown as an opportunity to continue firing the federal workforce. In addition, the administration has made it clear the shutdown is an opportunity to cut programs that are deemed “not consistent” with Trump’s priorities. And through this all, congressional Republicans allow the administration to proceed without Congressional oversight.