STORY: :: Brazil's Lula says he's 'very satisfied' after his meeting with Trump
:: Washington, D.C. / May 7, 2026
:: Ricardo Stuckert/Brazilian Presidency
:: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazilian President
"I'm leaving very, very satisfied with the meeting. I think it was an important meeting for Brazil, and important for the U.S. I always think that the photograph is very valuable, and you could see that President Trump smiling is better than President Trump with a bad face. // I honestly think he (U.S. President Donald Trump), understands the importance of the United States, but I do not believe he will have any influence on the Brazilian elections. It is the Brazilian people who vote, and I think he will act as president of the United States by allowing the Brazilian people to decide their own future, just as I will allow the American people to decide theirs."
Lula said previously in April that any possible intervention by Trump in Brazil's elections would ultimately help him politically.
The remarks came after Trump intervened directly in several elections, including congressional elections in Argentina and elections in Honduras, and weeks after his ally Viktor Orban was defeated in Hungary after 16 years in power, despite direct support from Trump's campaign.
The meeting between Lula and Trump brought together two of the world's most prominent populist figures despite their sharp ideological differences. Both leaders have built loyal political followings by positioning themselves against established elites, although they differ markedly on issues ranging from economic policy to international alliances.
Brazilian officials were hoping for the best to result from the meeting given tensions last year over Trump's tariff policy and his outrage over the trial and conviction of Brazilian ex-president Jair Bolsonaro.
