Why is Donald Trump afraid of the BRICS?

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At 11:26PM, Sunday evening, July 6, I acquired a textual content from my producers.

I used to be in Rio de Janeiro, masking the BRICS summit for a world information company. They wished me to go stay. The summit was solely midway carried out, however US President Donald Trump had already posted on Reality Social in retaliation.

“Any Nation aligning themselves with the Anti-American insurance policies of BRICS, shall be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff,” he wrote . “There shall be no exceptions to this coverage. Thanks on your consideration to this matter!” Why was the president of essentially the most highly effective nation on the planet anxious a few group of a dozen nations assembly in Brazil? As a result of that bloc contains a few of the strongest creating nations on the planet, together with Trump adversaries like China—but in addition Iran, who joined BRICS final 12 months as a accomplice member, alongside Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates. And since, because the world appears to be unraveling, the BRICS group is transferring to reform world governance and international commerce. They usually seemingly have the most effective likelihood of doing it.

“I can affirm that in the event that they preserve with the agenda, they usually implement what they put down on paper, we don’t see any block on the planet that’s pushing way more than the BRICS,” Maureen Santos, the coordinator of the BRICS Coverage Heart’s Socio-Environmental Platform, instructed me.

The Summit

“For the fourth time, Brazil is internet hosting a BRICS Summit,” mentioned Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to kick off the summit on Sunday morning, “Of all of the summits, this one is happening in essentially the most adversarial international state of affairs. The UN turned 80 on June 26, and we've witnessed an unparalleled collapse of multilateralism.”

In Lula’s 10-minute opening speech , he denounced the “genocide” in Gaza and known as for a two-state answer. He condemned the “violations of Iran’s territorial integrity” and reminded these in attendance that the BRICS was the inheritor of the non-aligned motion—the group of 121 nations that didn't align with neither the US nor Russia in the course of the Chilly Warfare.

These sentiments had been included within the remaining “BRICS Chief’s Declaration,” which was launched on Sunday July 6—the primary day of the summit—earlier than Trump’s threats over social media. The document didn’t explicitly point out the USA, nevertheless it rejected “unilateral protectionist measures” and condemned the violence in Gaza and Iran.

Among the many 126 remaining resolutions within the doc had been agreements on selling peace, strengthening cooperation on well being and sustainable improvement, combating local weather change, battling starvation, reforming international governance and making certain equal entry to—and international regulation of synthetic intelligence.

“A collective international effort is required to determine an AI governance that upholds our shared values, addresses dangers, builds belief, and ensures broad and inclusive worldwide collaboration and entry, in accordance with sovereign legal guidelines,” learn the doc. The widespread theme throughout all these points was the way to construct a extra equitable international system.

The leaders had been vocal a few have to overhaul the worldwide system of governance, the place the USA, the EU, and the G7 nations are on the prime, and everybody else is selecting up the scraps.

The BRICS leaders known as within the declaration for a “ comprehensive reform of the United Nations, together with its Safety Council, with a view to creating it extra democratic, consultant, efficient and environment friendly.”

“They're demanding multipolarity—monetary, cultural, and political multipolarity. And the USA is preventing to take care of a hegemony that's in disaster. It’s US hegemony that's in disaster. And in that sense, the BRICS represents a menace to the US.”

“The BRICS represents a proposal in opposition to hegemony,” BRICS Coverage Heart Director Marta Fernandez instructed me at a restaurant in Rio de Janeiro. “They're demanding multipolarity—monetary, cultural, and political multipolarity. And the USA is preventing to take care of a hegemony that's in disaster. It’s US hegemony that's in disaster. And in that sense, the BRICS represents a menace to the US.”

In all probability the highest challenge of concern for the US president are calls to democratize the foreign money utilized in commerce amongst BRICS nations. Presently, more than half of global transactions are within the US greenback. De-dollarization, or transferring away from the US greenback as the highest reserve foreign money, would imply an enormous hit for the USA and an enormous win for democratizing international commerce and finance.

Shortly after successful the November 2024 presidential elections, Trump fired off a warning to the BRICS nations.

“We're going to require a dedication from these seemingly hostile nations that they are going to neither create a brand new BRICS foreign money, nor again another foreign money to switch the mighty US greenback or, they are going to face 100% Tariffs,” Trump posted on Truth Social . “There isn't any likelihood that BRICS will substitute the US greenback in worldwide commerce, or wherever else, and any nation that tries ought to say good day to tariffs, and goodbye to America!”

The BRICS nations weren't deterred. In the final declaration they known as for the elevated use of “native currencies,” and the incorporation of the usage of these currencies within the BRICS interbank system with a view to “facilitate and increase modern monetary practices” and “assist higher commerce and funding flows.” The top of the BRICS New Growth Financial institution, former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff announced last week that already 1 / 4 of the financial institution’s lending portfolio was in native currencies and that they need to hit 30% by subsequent 12 months.

“Clearly, the massive BRICS demand is for financial multipolarity, which works in opposition to the hegemony of the greenback, which has grow to be the reserve foreign money since World Warfare II,” says Fernandez. “So it’s a direct assault on this method, managed by the greenback.”

BRICS has many challenges, partly because of the various make-up of the cultures, nations, and governments that make up the eclectic, but highly effective worldwide alliance.

The group isn't trying to upend the worldwide capitalist system. It’s not proposing socialism. The BRICS nations aren’t going to usher in revolutionary change. However they're pushing to change the steadiness of energy on the planet to maneuver from the hegemony of the USA and the European powers towards one thing extra equal.

“Can anybody inform me why India can’t be included within the UN Safety Council? Or a rustic like Brazil? Or Mexico?” Lula mentioned in the course of the summit. “Or Nigeria or Ethiopia, which has a inhabitants of simply over 120 million individuals, or Egypt, which has over 100 million, or South Africa? Why not? There’s no cause why.”

Presently solely China, France, Russia, the UK, and the USA have veto energy within the Safety Council. This construction was applied on the finish of World Warfare II and has remained in place ever since—one thing the BRICS nations say has to vary.

BRICS In style Council

The BRICS summit didn't happen in a vacuum. Representatives say that forward of the assembly, negotiators from the BRICS nations—which they name “sherpas”—met lots of of instances over the past 12 months to come back to settlement on such a variety of subjects.

This previous 12 months additionally noticed the creation of a brand new In style Council. The council was created final 12 months as an area for grassroots teams to contribute to the BRICS agenda, insurance policies, and future. Representatives from 120 teams from throughout the BRICS nations met within the months main as much as the summit.

“Nearly all of the BRICS nations, proper now, are very conservative and a few of them even undemocratic and don’t have the civil area inside their nations. So bringing this agenda for the BRICS, it’s pushing the opposite nations to open area for civil society.”

“The existence of this In style Council is superb,” mentioned Santos . “As a result of you realize that almost all of the BRICS nations, proper now, are very conservative and a few of them even undemocratic and don’t have the civil area inside their nations. So bringing this agenda for the BRICS, it’s pushing the opposite nations to open area for civil society.”

<img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/BRICS_PopularCouncil_Forum.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-335532" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/BRICS_PopularCouncil_Forum-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/BRICS_PopularCouncil_Forum-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/BRICS_PopularCouncil_Forum-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/BRICS_PopularCouncil_Forum-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/BRICS_PopularCouncil_Forum-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/BRICS_PopularCouncil_Forum-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/BRICS_PopularCouncil_Forum-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/BRICS_PopularCouncil_Forum-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/BRICS_PopularCouncil_Forum-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/therealnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/BRICS_PopularCouncil_Forum-1024x683.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"/> Members of social actions and representatives of the BRICS In style Council shut a particular two-day discussion board within the Rio de Janeiro’s Carlos Gomes Theater on Saturday, July 5, the day earlier than the beginning of the official BRICS Summit. Credit score: Michael Fox

For 2 days earlier than the official BRICS summit, members of social actions, civil society, and academia from throughout the BRICS nations met in a big corridor in Carlos Gomes Theater, in downtown Rio de Janeiro, for the In style Council Discussion board.

Colourful banners from various social and labor actions, together with Brazil’s Landless Staff’ Motion (MST), had been specified by entrance of the stage, the place panels had been held all through the day.

They delivered their suggestions to BRICS leaders on Sunday. Delegates of the In style Council introduced their findings, evaluation and course of throughout a press convention following the In style Council discussion board.

Raymond Matlala, from the BRICS Youth Affiliation of South Africa, mentioned, “What I like about BRICS and why I believe BRICS is so interesting to the worldwide majority, the International South is the rules of BRICS, the mutual respect. The individuals are leveled. Nobody comes with superior energy. It’s additionally the respect of 1 nation’s sovereignty. BRICS doesn't enter in home points.”

How will BRICS reply to Trump?

Early on Monday morning, I responded to the textual content from my producers and went stay at each 1AM and 2AM.

The presenter requested me how BRICS would reply to Trump’s late-night menace over social media. I mentioned it was unclear, however I used to be positive it was not going to make them change course.

At a press convention the subsequent day, following the shut of the summit, Lula stood at a microphone in entrance of the corridor in white shirt and a black swimsuit. Blue carpeted flooring. Blue wall behind him, “BRICS – Brasil 2025″ written throughout it. Journalists packed in rows of chairs earlier than him. Digital camera shutters clicking. Chilly air pumped into the room from two big air con models.

The primary three questions had been variations on the identical theme: How would BRICS reply?

The reply: They wouldn’t. They didn’t should.

“The world has modified. We don’t need an emperor,” mentioned Lula, referring to Trump. “We're sovereign nations.” He mentioned Trump’s menace of elevating tariffs on BRICS nations wasn’t introduced up in any respect throughout their conferences that day. It was not even a problem.

“In the mean time the USA declares ‘America First,’ the BRICS are saying ‘all of us come first,’”

It is a refined, however essential level. Trump desires to be the focus. That’s how he derails and wins debates, with ever-more stunning statements, actions, decrees, and threats. In Trump’s world, the USA—backed by the US greenback and the US army—ought to be first, with the remainder of the nations of the world revolving round it. That's precisely what the BRICS nations need to change. And the extra Trump pushes, the extra they will look the opposite means.

“In the mean time the USA declares ‘America First,’ the BRICS are saying ‘all of us come first,’” worldwide relations analyst Pedro Costa Junior instructed me on the summit. “The International South comes first. The neighborhood comes first. Not for one. However for everybody.”