El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele shared details of his phone conversation with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on social media platform X on Thursday, noting a range of topics that touch on their mutual interests and political agendas. Bukele remarked:
I congratulated him on his sweeping victory on Tuesday, and we discussed the strong mandate he received from the American people and the significance his election holds for the world.
“We had an interesting conversation about his podcast strategy, the bullet that nearly killed him, the incredible people around him, the sometimes harmful effects of U.S. aid funds, Soros-backed NGOs [non-governmental organizations], and our shared commitment to tackling the challenges ahead,” the Salvadoran leader added.
Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump’s victory marks his return to the White House after previously serving as president. In addition, more than 280 pro-crypto candidates won seats in Congress, signaling growing legislative support for digital assets and blockchain technology.
Although Bukele did not confirm that the two leaders discussed crypto, they share an enthusiasm for bitcoin. Trump has pledged to make the U.S. the global leader in cryptocurrency and has proposed holding bitcoin as part of national reserves. He has launched four non-fungible token (NFT) collections, featuring digital trading cards, which drew significant attention online. In September, he supported the launch of World Liberty Financial (WLF), a cryptocurrency and decentralized finance (defi) platform. This initiative aims to revolutionize the financial industry by providing decentralized, peer-to-peer borrowing and lending services, thereby reducing reliance on traditional banking systems.
In 2021, Bukele’s administration made El Salvador the first country to adopt bitcoin as legal tender, aiming to increase financial inclusion and attract foreign investment. Since then, the Salvadoran government has accumulated BTC through regular purchases and promoted numerous BTC-focused initiatives. Among these is the planned “Bitcoin City,” a tax-free zone powered by geothermal energy from the Conchagua volcano, intended to foster bitcoin-driven economic development.
