Meeting Between Lula and Trump at the White House
Brazilian Socialist Party President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is set to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday, May 7, according to various Brazilian government officials.
Unidentified sources informed several news outlets, including Brazilian media, that Lula will travel to the U.S. on Wednesday. His meeting with Trump is scheduled for Thursday morning. However, as of now, Lula’s travel details from the White House and the Planalto presidential palace remain unconfirmed.
Reports indicate that the meeting was planned during a phone call between the two leaders last week, although the Brazilian government has yet to make an official announcement. Lula had expressed a desire for an in-person meeting back in January, initially aiming for a trip in March after visiting India and South Korea. But those plans were interrupted due to the outbreak of war in Iran in late February.
As per media reports, Lula hopes to address tariffs the Trump administration has placed on Brazilian goods and discuss cooperation in tackling organized crime and money laundering. Additionally, discussions regarding rare earth minerals are expected to be on the agenda.
At the same time, Lula’s administration is working to persuade the U.S. not to label Brazilian gangs, such as the “Red Command” and the “Primeiro Comando da Capital” (PCC), as foreign terrorist organizations. Brazilian Finance Minister Dario Durigan previously stated that he does not view these gangs as terrorist organizations and warned that such a designation could lead to severe U.S. sanctions against Brazilian financial institutions.
Relations between the two leaders have been tense since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, particularly after he signed an executive order in June designating Brazil as a “national security threat.” The tariffs imposed were also postponed later that year. Previously, Trump and Lula had met in Malaysia during an ASEAN Summit, where they spoke for about 45 minutes.
Lula has voiced strong criticism of the ongoing war in Iran, labeling it “madness,” and has suggested that Brazil, being relatively untouched by conflict, shouldn’t have to bear the economic burden resulting from such wars. He reiterated his stance that Trump was not meant to act as the “emperor of the world,” threatening other nations.
“It’s unacceptable that Trump engages in warfare while poorer populations in Africa and Latin America suffer,” Lula stated, also condemning Trump’s aggressive actions toward countries like Cuba and Venezuela.
Recently, relations faced another challenge when the U.S. expelled Brazilian security official Marcelo Ivo de Carvalho. He is suspected of involvement in the April arrest of Alexandre Ramagem, a former Brazilian lawmaker, by U.S. immigration authorities. Ramagem had been convicted by Brazil’s Supreme Court for his role in an alleged coup attempt linked to former President Jair Bolsonaro.
In response, the Brazilian government revoked the credentials of U.S. immigration officials in Brasília, which reflects the ongoing complexities in U.S.-Brazil relations.
