21/09/26
By AfterPost
In a prime-time interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour in New York on Monday, September 22, Lula delivered his bluntest criticism yet:
"President Trump was elected to be the US president. He has the right to govern. But he doesn't have the right to govern other countries. He doesn't have the right to impose his will. I like to be respected and show respect," Lula said.
"The best way to keep the world in harmony is to strengthen multilateralism," he added, before delivering the line that went viral:
"He has a way of governing: 'I am the strongest, I am the richest, I can do everything and the others have to obey.' It is the law of the strongest. I do not agree with that."
This is not the first time Lula used the "emperor" label. In February and again last week in interviews with Brazilian radio, he said Trump is "trying to become an emperor of the world" and "trying to chime in on all countries and in all public policies."
*Why Now? The US-Brazil Trade War*
The timing is not accidental. Lula arrived in New York on Sunday for the 81st UNGA, where by tradition Brazil gives the opening speech on Tuesday, followed by the United States. He will share the building with Trump for three days of high-stakes diplomacy.
Relations are at their lowest in decades. In July, President Trump imposed a staggering 50% tariff on all Brazilian goods, one of the highest tariffs in his second-term trade war. Trump explicitly linked the tariffs to the trial of his ally, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, calling it a "witch hunt" and accusing Brazil of judicial overreach and censorship.
Bolsonaro was convicted by Brazil's Supreme Court for attempting a coup after losing the 2022 election to Lula. Trump has demanded an end to what he calls political persecution. Lula, meanwhile, has refused to negotiate sovereignty.
In an interview with PBS on the same day, Lula said: "What we do not accept is that any country in the world interferes in our democracy and our sovereignty. Brazilian political affairs should be decided by Brazilians."
Trump is expected to hit back in his own UNGA speech on Tuesday, where he has already accused Brazil of "censorship, repression, judicial corruption and targeting of political critics."
*The Irony: Is Lula Any Better on Free Speech?*
As conservative commentators quickly pointed out, Lula's defense of democracy rings hollow for many Brazilians.
Under Lula's government, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes — often called the most powerful man in Brazil — ordered a nationwide ban of X (formerly Twitter) in August 2024 that lasted 40 days after Elon Musk refused to suspend accounts of Bolsonaro supporters accused of spreading disinformation. The court also froze Starlink bank accounts, ordered raids, and jailed hundreds of people connected to the January 8, 2023 riots in Brasilia.
Critics, including Musk and Trump allies, call this lawfare — the weaponization of the courts to crush dissent. Lula has defended Moraes as defending democracy.
This is why many on the right see the clash as hypocritical: Two leaders who both love state power accusing each other of authoritarianism. Trump uses tariffs as a weapon to enforce his will abroad. Lula uses the Supreme Court as a weapon to enforce his will at home.
*What Happens Next at UNGA?*
Lula said he still wants dialogue with Washington but will not back down. "Brazil seeks continuous dialogue and constructive negotiations," he said, "but will refuse external impositions."
With both leaders scheduled to speak Tuesday morning at UN headquarters and nine bilateral meetings planned for Trump, a pull-aside meeting is not ruled out — but no formal bilateral is on the schedule.
The world will be watching who blinks first: the self-proclaimed strongest man in the world, or the veteran leftist who survived jail to return to power and now claims to be the last defender of multilateralism.