Trump and Brazil's Lula Meet at White House on Trade and Tariffs

President Trump and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met at the White House on Thursday to discuss trade, tariffs and security issues. The two leaders avoided a planned joint appearance before U.S. and Brazilian journalists. Videos showed them greeting each other on the South Lawn earlier in the day.

" He said the leaders discussed trade and specifically tariffs, adding that representatives are scheduled to meet on key elements with additional talks planned over coming months. The Brazilian press corps left the White House nearly two hours after Lula arrived.

The meeting had originally been open to the White House press pool and Brazilian media. Lula arrived in the late morning for the bilateral session.

Trump and Lula have had an acrimonious relationship at times despite their meeting in Malaysia last October. In July of last year, Trump imposed a 50 percent tariff on Brazil in part over the prosecution of the country's former right-wing president, a Trump ally.

Lula responded in a September opinion piece in the New York Times, calling the tariffs illogical and misguided. Trump later lifted tariffs on Brazilian food products including coffee and beef late last year to help ease grocery prices for American consumers.

In February, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down global tariffs imposed under a national emergencies law, eliminating many remaining levies. Brazilian products still face an extra 10 percent tariff due to expire in July. Brazilian officials have expressed worries about potential new tariffs linked to a Section 301 investigation into unfair trade practices.

Tensions also persist over digital trade, with Brazil blocking renewal of a World Trade Organization e-commerce tariff moratorium, and high Brazilian tariffs on goods including ethanol. The U.S. Trade Representative alleged last month that nearly half of Brazil's timber exports come from illegal sources, which the Lula administration denies.

“Just concluded my meeting with Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the very dynamic President of Brazil. We discussed many topics, including Trade and, specifically, Tariffs. He suffered two congressional setbacks last week, including an override of his veto on a law reducing a former president's prison time and rejection of his Supreme Court nominee. Lula, seeking a fourth non-consecutive term, is polling neck and neck with a leading opposition candidate. The Brazilian leader flew to Washington seeking to reset relations and boost his image at home. Officials hoped for a positive outcome from the talks on economic and security matters, including fighting organized crime. The two populist leaders differ sharply on economic policy and international alliances but both have built strong followings against established elites.”

In a separate development Thursday, the White House condemned actor Mark Hamill after he posted an AI-generated image on Bluesky depicting President Trump lying in a grave. The White House called Hamill "one sick individual" and linked such rhetoric to inspiring three assassination attempts against the president in two years.

Hamill's original post included a caption wishing Trump would live long enough to face accountability for alleged crimes and be disgraced in history books. The 74-year-old actor later deleted the image and clarified that he was wishing Trump the opposite of death.

He apologized if the image was found inappropriate. The White House has repeatedly argued that aggressive left-wing commentary drives political violence. It cited an April shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner where the suspect sent an anti-Trump message beforehand.

Officials noted that 2025 saw left-wing terror attacks outnumber those from the right for the first time in over 30 years according to one analysis. Trump himself has used AI-generated content and harsh rhetoric toward political opponents. The president has pardoned individuals convicted of political violence, including some involved in the January 6 Capitol events.