After Javier Milei’s scandalous show at the Movistar Arena, even some of his strongest defenders began to distance themselves. Among them, Jonathan “Joni” Viale, who in his editorial for the program “La Ves?” (TN) questioned the tone and timing chosen by the President. “You have a President who says ‘the effort is worth it’ while they organized a self-birthday in the midst of accusations of drug financing to the former first candidate of the Province, while people go into debt to make ends meet. It’s shocking. Obviously, people are going to ask ‘is the effort worth it?’,” said the journalist, marking a break in his until now cordial relationship with the president.
Viale was one of the communicators who gave Milei the most space during his political rise. He interviewed him repeatedly and maintained a bond of ideological affinity visible on screen, characterized by relaxed dialogues and a comprehensive view of the libertarian phenomenon. However, the relationship began to strain after an episode that went viral: Viale’s interview with Javier Milei in which Santiago Caputo burst into the camera to interrupt a response from the President.
The episode was leaked that same night on social networks, generating a scandal due to the interference of the presidential advisor, who whispered in Milei’s ear to avoid judicial complications related to the $Libra cryptocurrency scandal. The unedited video showed Caputo asking to repeat a question about Milei’s legal strategy, arguing that the original answer could “bring judicial confusion.” Viale, in subsequent defenses during that month, admitted that he lacked firmness to reject the interruption, fearing that the note would be suspended in the presence of Karina Milei, Luis Caputo and Manuel Adorni. The next day, the presidential spokesman described Caputo’s action as an “unnecessary mistake.”
The new position of the TN host reflects a broader erosion between part of related journalism and the ruling party, especially after the event at the Movistar Arena, highlighted by its theatrical display and its poor political timing. What for Milei was a celebration of leadership and personal epic, for Viale it represented a disconnection from the social climate. In that contrast, the journalist who supported him for years chose this time to distance himself.
