Trump’s View of Colombia Leader Swings From ‘Sick’ to ‘Terrific’

Feb. 3, 2026, 11:24 PM UTC

President Donald Trump’s opinion of Colombia’s leader swung from “sick” to “terrific” as a face-to-face White House meeting eased tensions between the ideological foes.

Trump and President Gustavo Petro discussed the war on drugs, energy and security in their two-hour sit-down at the Oval Office.

“He and I weren’t exactly the best of friends, but I would have felt it because I never met him,” Trump told reporters in Washington.

As recently as last month, Trump had accused Petro of being involved in the cocaine trade, and even threatened military strikes on Colombia.

President Donald Trump
Photographer: Alex Wong/Getty Images

“The U.S. president received a ...

Learn more about Bloomberg Law or Log In to keep reading:

See Breaking News in Context

Bloomberg Law provides trusted coverage of current events enhanced with legal analysis.

Already a subscriber?

Log in to keep reading or access research tools and resources.