U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. met with Argentine President Javier Milei on Tuesday at the Casa Rosada, where both leaders reaffirmed plans to withdraw their nations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and build a new international health framework.
The meeting brought together two strong-willed political outsiders. Milei, a libertarian economist known for cutting government spending, and Kennedy, a Trump-appointed health chief skeptical of pandemic-era mandates. Both promised to challenge what they call global overreach and politicized health policy.
Argentina officially confirmed its exit from the WHO during Kennedy’s visit, following Milei’s initial announcement in February. The move aligns with President Trump’s revived pledge to pull the U.S. out of the WHO as part of his ‘Make America Healthy Again’ (MAHA) agenda.
Milei’s government blasted the WHO for what it called a failed COVID response. ‘The WHO’s prescriptions do not work because they are not based on science but on political interests and bureaucratic structures that refuse to review their own mistakes,’ the government said, referring to the group’s lockdown strategy as a ‘caveman quarantine.’
Kennedy offered support, encouraging other countries to also exit the WHO in a recent address to the World Health Assembly. He has argued the organization is compromised by foreign governments and corporate interests, and that a fresh approach is needed.
After the meeting, Kennedy posted on X: ‘I had a wonderful meeting with President Milei about the mutual withdrawal of our nations from the WHO and the creation of an alternative international health system… free from totalitarian impulses, corruption, and political control.’
Both governments say the new alliance will prioritize real science, individual freedom, and national sovereignty, pushing back against what Milei’s team calls ‘interference’ from global agencies.
The meeting also highlighted shared philosophies between the two leaders. Milei took office vowing to slash Argentina’s massive public spending. He famously carried a chainsaw during his campaign to symbolize budget cuts—and has since followed through, cutting public salaries, halting state projects, and ending energy subsidies.
His tough measures have produced results: Argentina posted its first budget surplus in nearly 15 years and sharply reduced monthly inflation.
Kennedy’s MAHA campaign echoes Milei’s anti-establishment style, but in the health sector. The Trump administration’s health agenda has focused on rolling back federal overreach, enforcing science-based policy, and promoting transparency in public health.
Tuesday’s meeting marks a deeper alignment between Argentina and the current U.S. administration. Milei has welcomed top American officials in recent months and shown clear interest in building strong ties with Washington. Now, by joining the U.S. in rejecting the WHO, Milei becomes the first foreign leader to openly back Trump’s health sovereignty push.
The decision is a major departure from Argentina’s previous international partnerships and could signal a shift for other countries weighing similar moves. Both Milei and Kennedy have framed the initiative as the start of a more accountable and independent global health network.
Critics, including some in Argentina’s opposition, warn that leaving the WHO could limit access to funding and vaccines. Global health experts largely defend the WHO’s role, despite acknowledging its COVID missteps.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.