Lula bets on Trump as Rubio feud reshapes Brazil’s election

Facing a fierce public spat with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Brazil’s Lula da Silva seeks an unlikely ally in Donald Trump ahead of October elections. Lula says he’ll call Trump over interference concerns and the two leaders recently spoke in a cordial, over‑hour call focused on trade and ties. Some Washington officials view Lula’s approach as a strategy to gain leverage in polls, while Brazilian diplomats warn the State Department is increasingly ideological; with Brazil’s economy diversifying away from the US, the Lula–Trump dynamic could outlast the election.