After months of mounting tension over trade and legal prosecutions, President Donald Trump will welcome Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the White House on Thursday for high‑stakes talks on the economy and security, a White House official confirmed on condition of anonymity because the meeting has not been officially announced.
The leftist Lula and Trump have had an up‑and‑down relationship since Trump’s return to the presidency last year. The Trump administration imposed a 40% tariff on Brazilian products in July, on top of an earlier 10% hike, with Trump justifying the moves by declaring that Brazil’s policies and its criminal prosecution of Bolsonaro constituted an economic emergency. The tariffs were later loosened as part of an effort to lower consumer costs for Americans.
The two leaders began mending fences at the United Nations’ General Assembly in September, which was followed by their first private meeting in Malaysia in October and subsequent phone conversations, the Associated Press reported.
Bolsonaro has been accused of masterminding a plot to stay in power despite his 2022 election loss to Lula — allegations that bear striking similarities to the charges Trump faced after a mob of his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to prevent Joe Biden from taking office.
Last month, Lula came to the defense of Pope Leo XIV during a tense exchange of attacks between the pontiff and Trump over the war in Iran. The Brazilian president, 80, is running for re-election in October’s general election.
Brazilian newspaper O Globo first reported the planned trip by the Brazilian leader.