Arguing, Trump Ensures Brazilian President Can Contact Him At Any Time

JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump confirmed Brazilian President Luiz Injahcio Lula da Silva could contact him at any time to discuss tariffs and other tensions between countries.

"He can talk to me whenever he wants," Trump said of Lula while speaking to reporters at the White House. Trump asserted he loved the Brazilian people, but "the people who led Brazil made a mistake."

Responding to the White House, Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad called Trump's statement "great," and said he believed Lula felt the same way, and was willing to receive a call from the US president.

In a post on his X account, Lula said Brazil was always open to dialogue, although he did not mention Trump nor his previous statements.

Trump charges a 50% tariff against Brazil, with many exceptions, starting next week to fight what he calls a "witch hunt" against former President Jair Bolsonaro who is on trial on charges of planning a coup after his defeat in the 2022 general election.

The US also announced sanctions against a Brazilian Supreme Court judge who has overseen Bolsonaro's trial.

Lula rejected sanctions and tariffs, calling them "irreproper" and constituted "unacceptable" interference in Brazil's justice system.

Haddad said his planned virtual meeting with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent next week would pave the way for a meeting between Lula and Trump, but he noted the move required preparation.

Earlier this week, Haddad said Brazil needed assurances that Lula would not face the same treatment as Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy who Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticized in a heated debate at the White House earlier this year.