Trump Slaps Brazil With 50% Tariff Over Censorship And Bolsonaro Witch Hunt

President Donald Trump is taking a blowtorch to Brazil’s leftist regime, delivering a powerful rebuke to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva over censorship, political persecution, and the war on free speech and backing it up with the harshest tariff yet: a 50% levy on all Brazilian imports.

In a direct letter to Lula released Wednesday, Trump slammed Brazil’s treatment of former conservative President Jair Bolsonaro, labeling the ongoing prosecution against him a “witch hunt” and warning the U.S. will no longer tolerate attacks on American rights or allies abroad.

• The 50% tariff, set to begin August 1, 2025, is the highest Trump has announced in his global tariff overhaul.

• Trump accused Brazil of issuing “hundreds of secret and unlawful censorship orders” to U.S. social media platforms.

• He called the trial of Bolsonaro a “disgrace” and demanded it be halted immediately.

"The way that Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro... is an international disgrace. This trial should not be taking place," Trump wrote. "It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!"

Bolsonaro, a staunch Trump ally and populist icon in Brazil, is facing politically charged accusations from Lula’s administration over an alleged coup plot. The charges are widely seen as retaliation for Bolsonaro’s post-election criticism and for rallying millions of Brazilians against the corrupt socialist machine.

Trump didn’t stop there. He lit into the Brazilian Supreme Court’s censorship campaign, which included threats of massive fines and bans against Elon Musk’s X platform (formerly Twitter) and other American tech companies.

"Due in part to Brazil’s insidious attacks on Free Elections, and the fundamental Free Speech Rights of Americans," Trump stated, "we will charge Brazil a Tariff of 50% on any and all Brazilian products sent into the United States."

This isn't just about trade it’s a firm declaration that authoritarian behavior won’t be tolerated from foreign governments, especially those that silence dissent and jail their political opponents. And unlike the Biden administration, which remains mum or outright supportive of global leftist regimes, Trump is putting real consequences behind his words.

The move drew praise from Bolsonaro supporters and global free speech advocates, who say Lula’s government is rapidly turning Brazil into a South American censorship state. Last year’s ban on Musk’s X was just the beginning, and the Supreme Court’s expanded power to hold platforms accountable for user content has alarmed constitutional experts worldwide.

Meanwhile, Trump’s message is clear: The United States will not enable regimes that threaten freedom economically or politically.

"The only Trial that should be happening is a Trial by the Voters of Brazil It’s called an Election. LEAVE BOLSONARO ALONE!" Trump declared.

As August approaches, Brazil’s economy will feel the squeeze and Lula’s radical government will finally face real consequences for trampling liberties both at home and abroad.

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