Despite being two of Bitcoin’s most outspoken political champions, U.S. President Donald Trump and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele steered clear of digital assets during their April 14 summit at the White House. Instead, the meeting was dominated by conversations around immigration, security cooperation, and trade realignment.
The visit marked Bukele’s first official engagement with the White House since Trump’s return to office and centered heavily on law enforcement collaboration and migration policy. According to a livestream from Bukele’s team, Trump even floated a controversial idea: expanding El Salvador’s prison infrastructure to house incarcerated U.S. nationals.
“I said homegrowns are next,” Trump told Bukele.
“You gotta build about five more places.”
This statement refers to El Salvador’s CECOT facility—the country’s flagship maximum-security prison known for its strict conditions, which has drawn both praise and international criticism. Trump, however, commended Bukele’s approach to gang control and emphasized the need for deeper bilateral enforcement mechanisms.
Immigration and Trade Eclipse Bitcoin
Although both leaders have built political capital by championing Bitcoin, neither made mention of it in their public remarks. Instead, immigration took top billing. Trump confirmed the deportation of hundreds of foreign nationals to El Salvador, conducted under a $6 million bilateral enforcement agreement aimed at tightening border control and cross-border criminal deterrence.
Trade concerns also entered the discussion, particularly in the context of Trump’s April 2 tariff escalation, which reignited tensions with global trade partners. The former president acknowledged the strain his new policies place on domestic automakers, hinting at possible temporary relief measures to allow for supply chain adjustments.
“I’m looking at something to help some of the car companies with it,” Trump told reporters. “They need a little bit of time.”
Bitcoin’s Absence Reflects Shifting Geopolitical Focus
The omission of cryptocurrency from the agenda was particularly striking given both leaders’ history with the digital asset. Bukele made global headlines in 2021 when El Salvador became the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. Meanwhile, Trump has recently leaned into crypto-friendly policies, including a March 2024 executive order to create a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, now totaling nearly 198,000 BTC—valued at over $17 billion.
Yet even with their shared enthusiasm for Bitcoin, the summit focused squarely on geopolitical realignment, trade restructuring, and national security enforcement—a shift reflecting the current global climate, where digital asset policy is being temporarily eclipsed by more pressing statecraft.
Quick Facts
- Trump and Bukele’s meeting focused on immigration enforcement and trade negotiations.
- The U.S. confirmed deportation deals under a $6 million bilateral agreement with El Salvador.
- Trump hinted at potential tariff exemptions for automakers impacted by the April trade policy shift.
- Bitcoin, despite its relevance to both administrations, was not discussed during the summit.
