Trump Meets with Brazil’s President Lula
President Donald Trump met privately with Brazil’s socialist leader, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, at the White House on Thursday. Trump noted, “I just concluded a meeting with Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a very dynamic President of Brazil. We discussed a number of topics, particularly trade and tariffs. The meeting went very well.” He also mentioned that representatives from both nations would reconvene to discuss key issues in the coming months.
The meeting took place around noon (EST) and lasted about three hours, but specific details were not available at the time. Afterward, both delegations reportedly enjoyed a joint lunch. Lula was accompanied by five ministers and Brazil’s federal police chief. Initial plans for a press conference before the talks were reportedly altered at Lula’s request, according to Recio Portela Delgado, the director of communications in the Brazilian President’s Office. Ultimately, no press conference occurred.
The change in plans followed Lula’s discomfort during their last encounter at the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Lula indicated that he preferred to speak with reporters after his meeting with Trump instead of before.
After leaving the White House, Lula headed to the Brazilian embassy in Washington, where he was expected to address the media later that day. Brazilian news outlets did not elaborate on why the agenda had shifted abruptly.
Both leaders were accompanied by five officials during the meeting. Trump’s team included Vice President J.D. Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Lula’s delegation featured Foreign Secretary Mauro Vieira, Finance Minister Dario Durrigan, Industry Minister Marcio Rosa, Mining Minister Alexandre Silveira, and Justice Minister Wellington Silva.
The Thursday meeting was initially brought to light by anonymous Brazilian sources who spoke with several news organizations before the White House confirmed the schedule. It was reported that Lula aimed to discuss tariffs, organized crime, and rare earth minerals. His visit, originally slated for March, was postponed due to the Iran conflict.
Leading up to the meeting, Brazilian media noted that Lula and Trump had a “friendly” phone call on Friday, May 1, lasting around 40 minutes. They discussed several topics for the Thursday meeting, focusing mostly on future cooperation between the U.S. and Brazil in combatting organized crime and drug trafficking. Trump reportedly maintained a “friendly tone” during their conversation and even mentioned he had looked into Lula’s background and political journey. Lula expressed a desire to address interests of both Brazil and the U.S., including potential international conflicts and the role of the United Nations, with Trump showing interest in Lula’s perspectives on these issues.
