‘Emperor of the World’ and ‘Disappointed with Brazil’: Before ‘Friendship’, what Lula and Trump have already said to each other

Lula speaks at the 80th UN Assembly of Donald Trump’s speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday (23), was praised to Lula. The American said he had “excellent chemistry” with the Brazilian president, “who looked like a very pleasant guy”. Trump said the meeting was brief and happened after the Brazilian speech at the opening of the event. According to Trump, the two should meet next week. “I was entering (in the UN plenary), and the leader of Brazil was leaving. I saw him, he saw me, and we hugged. In fact, we agreed that we would meet next week,” said Trump. The speech contrasts with the tense relationship that United States and Brazil have been having since July, when Trump announced 50% tariffs to Brazilian products. Since Trump took over the presidency in January this year, the American and the Brazilian have not met. However, the two leaders have already made public statements about each other. See below what they have said: April when Trump announced 10% rates on products from a country list including Brazil. Lula: “We are a country that does not tolerate threat to democracy, which does not give up its sovereignty, which does not contain it to any flag other than the green and yellow flag, which speaks of equal to equal and that respects all countries – from the poorest to the richest – but requires reciprocity in treatment,” said the president. July a week after a 50% announcement for Brazil-United States Lula: “We can’t let President Trump forget that he was elected to govern the US. He was not elected to be the emperor of the world. No one wants to separate from the US, nobody wants to be free from the US, which we want to be hostage to the US, we want freedom.” White House replied: “The president (Trump) is certainly not trying to be the emperor of the world. He is a strong president of the United States of America and is also the leader of the free world. And we saw a big change throughout the globe because of this president’s firm leadership.” Lula said he asked for conversation with American authorities, but found it difficult. Lula: “What is stopping us is that no one wants to talk. I asked to make contact. I designated my vice president, my agriculture minister, my economy minister, so that everyone talks to their US equivalents to understand what is the possibility of conversation. So far, it has not been possible” August Trump admits, for the first time, the possibility of talking to Lula. Donald Trump: “He (Lula) can talk to me whenever he wants. Let’s see what happens. But I love the people of Brazil. The people who govern Brazil did the wrong thing.” Less than a week after the start of tariff in Brazil, Lula gave an interview to the Reuters agency. “You can be sure of one thing: the day my intuition tells me that Trump is willing to talk, I will not have a doubt to call him. But today my intuition says he doesn’t want to talk. And I won’t humiliate myself,” Lula said. A week later, he said in an interview: “It’s a lie when the US president says Brazil is a bad commercial partner. Brazil is good, just won’t go to the US government,” Lula said at an event. September just over a month later, Trump commented on the tariffs against Brazil. Trump: “Well, I don’t know … We’re talking about things that make us very disappointed with Brazil. We apply very high rates because of what they are doing, something very unfortunate. I love the people of Brazil.” This Tuesday (22), at the UN General Assembly. Without quoting the US, Lula opened the speech with a critique of foreign and tariff policy adopted by Trump. Lula: “We have seen the consolidation of an international disorder marked by followed concessions to the policy of power. Attentive to sovereignty, arbitrary sanctions, and unilateral interventions are becoming the rule. There is an evident parallel between the multilateralism crisis and the weakening of democracy.” In his speech, Trump commented on a brief meeting with the Brazilian president. Trump: “I was entering (in the UN plenary), and the leader of Brazil was leaving. I saw him, he saw me, and we hugged. In fact, we agreed that we would meet next week,” said Trump. “We didn’t have much time to talk like about 20 seconds (…). But he looked a very nice man. He liked me, and I liked him. (…) I just do business with people I like. When I don’t like them, I don’t like them. We had an excellent chemistry.” Lula during Trump’s speech at UN Brendan SmiaLowski/AFP and Evan Vucci/AP

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