By SEO JUN, America News World
Published: September 19, 2025
In a pointed BBC interview that has electrified global headlines, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared he has “no relationship” with US President Donald Trump, dismissing the American leader as “not emperor of the world.” The candid remarks, aired on September 17, 2025, underscore the deepening rift between Brasília and Washington, fueled by US tariffs on Brazilian goods and the recent conviction of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for an attempted coup.
Lula, 79, spoke bluntly during the exclusive sit-down, revealing that the two leaders have never conversed directly. “I never tried that call because he never wanted to have a conversation,” Lula said, countering Trump’s public offer that Lula could “call him anytime.”
He learned of the US’s 50% tariffs on Brazilian exports—imposed in July—not through diplomacy, but via newspapers and Trump’s social media posts. “He didn’t communicate in a civilized manner. He just published them on his portal—on social media,” Lula fumed.
The tariffs, affecting key Brazilian staples like coffee, beef, and sugar, were justified by Trump as retaliation for what he called a “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro, his ideological ally.
Bolsonaro, 70, was sentenced to 27 years in prison on September 12 by Brazil’s Supreme Court for orchestrating a January 2023 coup attempt after losing the 2022 election to Lula. The plot allegedly included plans to assassinate Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.
Bolsonaro, under house arrest since August, denies the charges and plans to appeal.
Lula hailed the verdict as a “historic decision” safeguarding Brazil’s democracy, not political persecution.
In a September 15 New York Times op-ed, he blasted the tariffs as “misguided and illogical,” noting the US’s $410 billion trade surplus with Brazil over 15 years.
“The American people will pay for the mistakes President Trump is making in his relationship with Brazil,” Lula warned, predicting higher prices for US consumers on everyday goods.
The feud escalated when Trump sanctioned Justice de Moraes under the Magnitsky Act and revoked visas for most Supreme Court justices.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed further “responses” post-verdict, hinting at visa restrictions and trade probes. Trump even suggested Brazil could avoid tariffs by manufacturing in the US—a non-starter for Lula, who insists Brazil’s sovereignty is “not on the table.”
Lula contrasted his frosty ties with Trump against warm relations with other powers. He boasts strong bonds with former US presidents, UK prime ministers, the EU, China, Ukraine, and Venezuela. Defending his rapport with Russia’s Vladimir Putin—forged during Lula’s prior terms—he quipped, “I don’t have a relationship with Trump because when Trump was elected the first time, I wasn’t president. His relationship is with Bolsonaro, not Brazil.”
The Brazilian leader didn’t shy from jabs. Asked about a potential UN General Assembly encounter next week, Lula said he’d greet Trump “because I am a civilized citizen,” but added the zinger: “Trump may be president of the United States, [but] he’s not emperor of the world.”
He even posited that if Trump’s January 6, 2021, Capitol riot occurred in Brazil, the US leader would face trial.
Economically, the tariffs sting. Brazil’s exports to the US, its second-largest market, dropped 12% in August, per government data.
Yet, Lula pivoted: Brazil’s global exports rose 4% last month, boosted by China snapping up redirected shipments.
In retaliation, Lula invoked Brazil’s Reciprocity Law, threatening mirror 50% duties on US goods. “If he charges us 50%, we’ll charge him 50%,” he declared in July.
A World Trade Organization appeal looms, alongside possible international probes.
Backlash in the US is brewing. On September 18, US senators— including a Trump-aligned Republican—introduced a bill to repeal the tariffs, citing inflation spikes in food prices.
Critics argue the levies, meant to punish Brazil, boomerang on American wallets amid 3.2% grocery inflation.
On X, reactions swirled. Brazilian users mocked Trump as Lula’s “biggest campaign booster,” with one tweeting, “The more Trump attacks to save Bolsonaro, the more Lula surges.”
Conservatives decried Lula as a “communist,” while others saw the clash as electoral gold for Brazil’s 2026 vote.
Bolsonaro’s saga mirrors Trump’s own legal woes—over 90 felony charges tied to election subversion.
The ex-Brazilian leader, who idolized Trump and visited Mar-a-Lago in 2020, thanked him effusively for the support.
But Lula frames it as foreign meddling: “Brazil is a sovereign country with independent institutions that will not accept being abused by anyone.”
As UN talks approach, eyes are on whether cooler heads prevail. Lula pushes UN reform for a “more democratic” body, but his Trump critique signals no thaw.
For now, the tariff tussle tests bilateral bonds, with Brazil leaning east and America risking isolation. In Lula’s words, dialogue must be “civilized”—a gauntlet Trump hasn’t picked up.
This standoff isn’t just bilateral; it’s a litmus for global democracy. Will economic pain force a reset, or deepen the divide? As Lula rises in polls—up 5% post-verdict—the world watches a left-wing icon .
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