Washington, D.C. – Former President Donald Trump has accused the BRICS alliance of attempting to undermine US interests, vowing to ensure that America is treated fairly on the world stage and threatening punitive trade measures against member nations.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said:
“The president feels, generally speaking, that BRICS is seeking to undermine the interests of the United States. It’s the president’s utmost responsibility to put the interests of the United States first. That’s how he views his job as president. So, he’s going to ensure that America is fairly treated on the world stage, and he’ll take any action necessary to prevent countries from taking advantage of the United States and our people.”
Leavitt confirmed that Trump is closely monitoring the 17th BRICS Summit, held on July 6–7 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which brought together leaders from the original BRICS members—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa—along with new entrants Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia.
“He’s closely monitoring it (BRICS Summit), which is why he put out a statement himself. He does not perceive these countries as growing stronger. He just perceives them as trying to undermine the United States’ interests. And that’s not okay with him. No matter how strong or weak a country may be.”
Trump took to Truth Social to issue a strong warning, declaring additional 10% tariffs on countries aligning with what he called “Anti-American policies” of BRICS.
“Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Trump’s comments come in response to the joint statement issued by the BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, who criticized unilateral trade actions such as tariffs and non-tariff measures. The statement emphasized the need for a multilateral, rules-based trade system under the WTO and warned against trade wars that could hurt the global economy.
“We voiced our serious concerns with the unilateral imposition of trade and finance-related actions, including the raising of tariffs and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules,” the statement read.
The BRICS bloc now represents nearly half of the global population and 40% of global GDP, commanding an increasingly significant share of world trade and investment. With the group’s expansion and growing influence, tensions with the US appear to be escalating.
Trump’s hardline stance signals a potential return to protectionist trade policies and geopolitical confrontation if he retakes office in 2025.