Milei vs Lali: Argentina's President Takes a Page from Trump's Playbook in Confrontation with Massive Popstar

Argentine President Javier Milei has often been compared to Donald Trump for his fiery speeches, firebrand presence on social media, unconventional hairstyle, etc. Milei, who has openly expressed his sympathy towards Trump and is set to travel to CPAC, the conservative conference that is considered to be the former U.S. president's reign, to give a speech.

This week, Milei took another step in line with Trump's public activity: he picked up a fight against Argentine pop singer Mariana 'Lali' Espósito, practically mirroring the feud that Donald Trump and his conservative base have maintained with Taylor Swift in the United States.

Milei has consistently attributed Argentina's economic woes to excessive public spending, and singled out the artist for playing concerts in different parts of the country that were paid by local governments. He labeled Lali a "parasite" who benefited from state support and accused her of campaigning for the opposition. The attack shook up the national conversation, with numerous public figures -both from the political and artistic spectrum- coming out to express their own views on the issue.

Many artists have taken a stand against Milei since he began his meteoric political rise, culminating in his election to the Casa Rosada in a runoff where he garnered 55% of the votes. However, Lali stands in stark contrast to the Argentine president in the values she champions, including feminism, legal abortion, and LGBT+ rights.

Similarities with Swift and the attacks she's received from a faction from the Republican party? They abound.

The U.S. artist endorsed President Joe Biden's successful 2020 campaign and has expressed -albeit mostly in an indirect manner lately- her rejection of the political model advocated by Donald Trump.

Trump again attacked Swift last Sunday, generating fury among her fans. The former president slammed Swift's potential support of President Joe Biden, saying he was somewhat responsible for her economic success. "There's no way she could endorse Crooked Joe Biden, the worst and most corrupt President in the History of our Country, and be disloyal to the man who made her so much money," Trump posted on Truth Social.

Some say Trump and Republicans could be playing with fire. The 34-years-old singer, a global phenomenon with 300 million followers on social media and the highest number of streams on Spotify in 2023, could have a mobilizing effect to get Democratic voters to the polls. According to a Morning Consult survey published in March, 53% of U.S. adults said they were fans of Swift, and 16% identified themselves as "avid" fans of the star.

Swifties have also demonstrated their influence in Argentine politics. In November, when the artist performed in Argentina for the first time, holding three shows at River Plate Stadium and drawing in some 180,000 people, the streets of Buenos Aires were filled with posters bearing slogans such as "Milei is Trump" and "Swift does not vote for Milei."

Lali Espósito v. Javier Milei: Timeline of the Latest Feud

Argentine performer Lali Espósito, 32, also achieved significant milestones last year. A successful actress-turned-musician, Lali held her first stadium concert last year, becoming the first Argentine woman to sell out a 45,000 seat venue.

The feud with Milei also began last year. It was after the singer lamented his victory in August's presidential primaries. "How dangerous. How sad," the singer posted on X. Since then, Milei and his followers have accused her of "stealing money from the state" by performing in public shows during the previous administration.

This week, during her performance at Cosquín Rock, one of the country's most important music festivals, Lali decided to take a jab at the president by changing the lyrics of one of her songs, "Quiénes son?" The song talks about how she will always face criticism no matter what: "Whether I smoke, whether I live, whether I say, whether I drink, whether I live off the State," she sang.

At the same concert, she addressed her fans and analyzed the political context: "I thought a lot about what to say; you understand the context. This is celebration of that we are as Argentines, the union created through art, music, culture. No one will ever take it away from us. It's up to us to stand for what's right. This song is for the liars, the fools, the bad people, the unpatriotic, and everyone."

Javier Milei responded to her on Wednesday on television, criticizing her once again for performing in state-organized shows and dubbed her "Lali Depósito," (a wordplay mocking her last name and equating it to a cash deposit) an alias that went viral on social media among her followers. Far from leaving it there, Milei raised the tone on Thursday by calling her a "parasite," accusing her of lip-syncing, and reposting memes in which an AI-generated Lali is depicted escaping from hungry children with a bag of money.

After receiving hundreds of endorsements, including from Argentina's most popular singer today, María Becerra, and even from Milei supporters, Lali responded with a letter on her social media, where she tells him that she has been working since she was 10 years old, argues that coming from a president his speech is "unfair and violent," and even invites him to see one of her shows.

"Mr. President, you're the captain of a ship in which we al travel. Those who voted for you and those who didn't. That's why I wish that the path you choose takes us ALL to a better place. I democratically accept the path chosen by the majority and from a place of respect I want to be free to think differently. I don't think that disrespect and senseless insults are the way. I wish us all the best, always," reads the final passage of Lali's response.

It's unclear whether the exchange will have a political impact on Milei, especially as his administration has just begun. A different scenario will take place in the U.S., which faces a presidential election this year. Depending on the result and whether Taylor Swift takes a more outspoken stance in the lead up to November, maybe Milei will take a hint and steer his own conflict based on his desired outcome.