PALM BEACH, Florida — Donald Trump met Thursday at his Mar-a-Lago club with the Argentine president Javier Mileythe first foreign leader to meet the president-elect since his victory in last week’s election.

The meeting was confirmed by a person who insisted on anonymity to discuss an event that had not yet been publicly announced. The person said the meeting went well and said Milei also met with investors.

A short time later, Milei, a self-described “anarcho-capitalist” and frequent recipient of Trump praise, addressed the America First Policy Institute gala at Mar-a-Lago. He spoke briefly in English, then gave a longer speech in Spanish, pausing to allow an interpreter to translate, in which he criticized left-wing ideologies and saluted Elon Musk, the owner of X, saying his social media page is helping to “save humanity.”

Milei criticized a political ruling class that he said was responsible for a system that used unfair tax systems to force “wealth redistribution at gunpoint.”

Argentina’s president also congratulated Trump on his “resounding victory” in the electionand said, “Today the winds of freedom are blowing much stronger,” calling the victory “proof positive that the forces of heaven are on our side.”

Trump also addressed the gala crowd, congratulating Milei “for the job you’ve done for Argentina” and saying it was an “honor” to have Argentina’s president at his club.

“The job you’ve done is incredible. Make Argentina great again, you know, MAGA. He’s a MAGA person,” Trump said to applause. “And you know, he’s doing it.”

Shortly after Milei’s election in November 2023, Trump wrote on social media: “You will turn your country around and truly make Argentina great again!”

Milei first met Trump in February at the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, in the Washington area. He has openly declared his admiration for Trump and when he saw him, he rushed to him and shouted “president!” and gave him a tight hug before they posed for pictures.

The Argentine president is known for his eccentric personality and first made a name for himself by ranting against Argentina’s “political caste” on television. The right-wing populist campaigned with a chainsaw as a prop to symbolize his plans to cut public spending and scrap government departments.

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Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.