Brazilian right-wing politics fractured further after federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro intensified public attacks on São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas for seeking direct talks with Washington over the 50% tariff President Donald Trump imposed on Brazilian exports last week. Speaking from Washington, where he has stayed since March, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro called the governor’s approach “subserviência servil às elites” and said Tarcísio lacked “intelligence and respect” for bypassing what he claims is his own privileged access to the White House. Tarcísio has shifted from initially defending the tariff to trying to defuse its impact. On Monday he met the chargé d’affaires of the US Embassy, Gabriel Escobar, in Brasília, and on Tuesday hosted a closed-door session at the Palácio dos Bandeirantes with more than a dozen business leaders from sectors such as agribusiness, machinery and aerospace to map out the economic damage. The governor told CNN Brasil he was focused on protecting São Paulo’s industrial base and saw no problem with Eduardo’s criticism. The dispute underscores competing strategies inside the Bolsonaro camp as they search for influence over US policy and jostle for position ahead of Brazil’s 2026 presidential election, in which Tarcísio is viewed as a potential right-wing contender. While Eduardo insists pressure should instead centre on amnesty for supporters convicted over the 2023 riots, the governor and Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin’s federal team are moving to assemble industry consultations aimed at reversing or mitigating Trump’s tariff decision.