President Donald Trump escalated his public clash with Colombia on Sunday, October 19, 2025, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that he will halt “all payments” to Bogotá and impose new tariffs because, in his words, the country “makes cocaine” instead of fighting it.
He also labeled Colombia’s leftist leader Gustavo Petro a “lunatic” and “the worst president they’ve ever had,” sharpening weeks of acrimony between the allies over counternarcotics strategy.
Trump’s remarks, echoed in a post by Sen. Lindsey Graham previewing “major tariffs,”.
What Trump said on Air Force One
Speaking with the press, Trump said Colombia was producing drugs “rather than fighting them” and vowed to stop U.S. funding.
He added that tariffs would be announced on Monday, October 20, reinforcing Graham’s statement on X that the administration would “hit Colombia… in the wallet” with new duties.
The White House has not yet published the tariff text, but recent reporting indicates the administration is weighing increases above the current 10 percent baseline that has applied broadly to imports since April.
Trump’s rhetoric follows a month of intensifying pressure on trafficking networks in the Caribbean. U.S. forces have carried out a string of maritime strikes on suspected drug boats, with at least seven operations since early September and 32 deaths reported.
He has also authorized covert actions targeting facilitators in neighboring Venezuela, part of a broader push to choke supply lines reaching the United States.
Bogotá pushes back
Colombia’s government rejected Trump’s accusations and warned of damage to the bilateral relationship. Petro wrote on X that “trying to promote peace in Colombia is not being a drug trafficker,” accusing Washington of distorting his country’s record and calling the president’s comments rude and ignorant.
The Foreign Ministry denounced what it described as threats to Colombia’s sovereignty.
Colombia’s armed forces emphasized their own losses in the fight against traffickers and insurgents and said cooperation with U.S. agencies remains crucial.
Petro, the country’s first leftist president, has clashed repeatedly with Washington this year over deportation flights, the scope of U.S. military authorities at sea, and the direction of drug policy. The latest exchange raises the risk of a prolonged rupture just as rural security is deteriorating.
