California Governor Critiques Trump Over Tariffs on Brazil

California Governor Gavin Newsom took aim at President Donald Trump on Monday for imposing tariffs on Brazil, characterizing it as a significant slight to the South American nation.

While attending a Milken Institute gathering in São Paulo ahead of the COP30 climate change summit, Newsom criticized Trump for skipping a conference organized by the Brazilian government in Belem.

“Is everything chaotic in my country? No one from the administration is here. I appreciate everyone. Let’s set politics aside for a moment. We’re in Brazil. This is one of our key trading partners and a prominent democracy globally,” Newsom expressed.

He continued, “I mean, come on. We need rare earth minerals from here. This is a country we ought to connect with. Yet instead, we get a 50% tariff. That’s just not right. Sorry for wandering off topic there.”

Newsom is in Brazil and is planning to travel to Belem Tuesday to engage in COP30 activities. Reports indicate that he and his team have received a significant number of requests for meetings during the event.

Notably, Trump and various international leaders did not attend last week’s COP30 summit, led by left-leaning President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. This two-day presidential meeting marked the kickoff for various COP30-related events continuing until November 21 in Belem.

The U.S. government did not send a senior-level representative to the ongoing climate conference. Newsom mentioned to Politico that the administration “hasn’t even sent anyone to take notes.”

He reportedly remarked, “Amid the current administration and everything going on, our influence is at its peak.”

In addition to networking with officials from Germany and Chile, Newsom is set to give a key address and visit the Amazon to meet with indigenous groups, according to Politico.

When Brazilian journalists inquired if he would consider running for president, Newsom responded, “Right now, 2026 and reclaiming the House is what’s most critical.”

In July, Trump signed an executive order labeling Brazil a national security threat and enforcing a 50% tariff on goods from the country. This action was motivated by the political treatment of former conservative President Jair Bolsonaro and various measures by Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes against Bolsonaro.

The Supreme Court has sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for “crimes against democracy.” As of now, there has been no determination of where he will serve his sentence, as he remains under strict house arrest. In August, Bolsonaro was diagnosed with skin cancer, and after several months of denying circumstances, Lula finally met with Trump in late October to discuss tariffs.