Brazilians Back Lula Against Trump, Calling Tariffs Unjustified

"Most Brazilians see Donald Trump’s threat of a 50% tariff as unjustified meddling in internal affairs and believe President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s administration is responding appropriately, according to a new poll.

The survey, conducted by AtlasIntel for Bloomberg News and published Tuesday, found that 50.3% of respondents view Trump’s move — which the US leader linked to legal proceedings against former President Jair Bolsonaro — as an attack on Brazil’s sovereignty.

After the US president’s July 9 threat, Lula said his government would respond in kind if tariffs go into effect on Aug. 1 as planned. Some 44.8% of Brazilians considered that reaction appropriate, 27.5% viewed it as aggressive, and 25.2% found it weak, according to the poll. More than half of respondents, 51.2%, supported hitting back with retaliatory tariffs, while 28.6% said Brazil should strengthen ties with US rivals like China.

Lula’s disapproval rating edged down in July, falling to 50.3% from 51.8% in June. Meanwhile, his approval rating ticked up to 49.7% from 47.3% over the same period."

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-15/brazilians-back-lula-against-trump-calling-tariffs-unjustified?srnd=homepage-americas