'We Got Along Very Well': Trump Calls Colombia's Petro 'Terrific' After White House Meeting

Last Updated:February 04, 2026, 08:41 IST

Trump and Petro held a two-hour meeting, discussing counter-narcotics and unity, with Trump gifting Petro a 'Make America Great Again' cap and both leaders expressing optimism.

The meeting came only weeks after Trump publicly accused Petro (L) of allowing cocaine to flood into the United States. Image: X)

US President Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro held a nearly two-hour meeting on Tuesday that both leaders described as friendly, marking a stark turnaround from weeks of harsh rhetoric and threats between the two leaders.

Trump, addressing reporters after the meeting, sought to soften his recent criticisms of Petro, saying, “He and I weren’t exactly the best of friends, but I wasn’t insulted because I never met him. I didn’t know him at all."

“We had a very good meeting," he added. “I thought he was terrific."

Asked whether they had worked together on counter-narcotics efforts, Trump replied, “Yes we did, We worked on it."

Petro, speaking at his own news conference after the talks, said the leaders left with “a positive and optimistic view," explaining, “What brings us together is freedom. And that’s how the meeting started out."

In a symbolic exchange, Trump presented Petro with a red “Make America Great Again" cap. Petro joked about modifying it to add an ‘s,’ making it “Make (the) Americas Great Again," intended to reflect cultural, economic and historical ties across North and South America.

Though Petro has publicly criticised the US operation to capture Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and previously faced Trump’s sanctions over alleged drug issues, Trump said more recently that Colombia’s leader has shown greater willingness to cooperate on counter-narcotics.

News world 'We Got Along Very Well': Trump Calls Colombia's Petro 'Terrific' After White House Meeting

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