President Trump didn’t allow the visit of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to hold him back from criticism of the late Sen. John McCain Tuesday. In the Oval Office, ahead of a press conference with the Brazilian president, Mr. Trump was asked about his intense and repeated criticism of the dead veteran, after the president spent part of his weekend attacking McCain on Twitter.
“I was never a fan of John McCain and I never will be,” Mr. Trump said, seated alongside Bolsonaro.
The hard-right Bolsonaro has been dubbed the “Trump of the tropics,” having run a campaign in which he aligned himself closely with Mr. Trump. During their meeting in the Oval Office, Mr. Trump praised Bolsonoro’s presidential campaign, calling it incredible, tough and well-fought, and he mentioned the comparison to his own campaign. The president said that the two leaders would discuss Venezuela and trade.
It’s Bolsonaro’s first visit to the White House since taking office in January. A senior administration official told reporters on a conference call Monday U.S. and Brazil are reshaping their relationship, based on the “mutual respect” Mr. Trump and Bolsonaro have for each other. Mr. Trump, the senior administration official said, took notice when Bolsonaro invoked his name during the campaign.
Mr. Trump lauded Bolsonaro at his inauguration. “Congratulations to President @jairbolsonaro who just made a great inauguration speech,” Mr. Trump tweeted in January. “The U.S.A. is with you!”
The press conference is slated for 1:45 p.m. in the White House Rose Garden.
Trump and Bolsonaro exchange soccer jerseys
The two world leaders exchanged soccer jerseys in the Oval Office, with Mr. Trump handing Bolsonaro a white and blue jersey with Bolsonaro’s name on the back, and Bolsonaro giving Mr. Trump a green and yellow jersey with Mr. Trump’s name on the back.
Mr. Trump’s youngest son, Barron, is a big soccer fan.
Every option is on the table in Venezuela, Trump says
Mr. Trump told reporters that every option remains on the table, as the U.S. continues to pressure the regime of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.
“Well, we don’t want to say exactly,” Mr. Trump said. “I know exactly what I want to happen in Venezuela, but we’re going to be talking about different things. All options are on the table. And it’s a shame what’s happening in Venezuela … the destruction and the … hunger. Hard to believe one of the wealthiest countries is now one of the poorest and most impoverished countries. So, we’ll be talking about that at great length.”
“I was never a fan of John McCain and I never will be,” Trump says in Oval Office
In an Oval Office meeting with Bolsonaro, Mr. Trump, asked why he would criticize McCain after his death, called the situation disgraceful.
The president, after ranting about McCain on Twitter this weekend, told reporters as he was seated alongside Bolsonaro that he was unhappy with McCain’s vote against repealing and replacing Obamacare.
“He campaigned on repealing and replacing Obamacare for years,” Mr. Trump said, adding that McCain allegedly told the White House he would vote to repeal Obama’s signature legislation.
“I think that’s disgraceful, Mr. Trump said.
“I was never a fan of John McCain and I never will be,” he added.
Bolsonaro agrees with Trump on need for wall
Bolsonoro told Fox News Monday that he supports President Trump’s push for a southern border wall.
“We do agree with President Trump’s decision or proposal on the wall,” Bolsonaro told Fox News’ Shannon Bream on “@Night.” “The vast majority of potential immigrants do not have good intentions. They do not intend to do the best or do good to the U.S. people.”
Bolsonaro visited CIA
Bolsonaro visited the CIA on Monday in a rather unusual visit for a foreign leader.
His son, a Brazilian lawmakers who is accompanying him on the trip, tweeted that the CIA is is one of the most respected intelligence agencies in the world, and called the visit an excellent chance to discuss international issues.
Venezuela
Brazil has been working to deliver humanitarian aid to the bordering country, and has taken in more than 100,000 Venezuelans who have fled for safety and economic security.
The situation in Venezuela appears to be only further disintegrating, with power outages and civil unrest crippling the country. Last week, the U.S. sent all diplomats in the country home, as the U.S. continues pressure Nicolas Maduro’s regime.
