Trump-Lula White House Meeting: Calm, No Bear HandshakeOn Thursday, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. The first contact between the two leaders was characterized as calm, marked by what was described as 'suavidade e gentileza'—smoothness and gentleness.
Notably, President Trump did not employ his well-known 'bear handshake' (aperto de mão de urso) during the encounter. According to analyst Marcelo Lins, speaking on Globo News, Trump greeted Lula by asking how he was. The interaction featured a linguistic dynamic where Trump spoke in English and Lula responded in Portuguese.
The meeting represents an early diplomatic engagement between the two heads of state, with the tone setting a notably cordial precedent for future interactions.