Donald Trump and the Colombian president go from exchanging vicious insults to having a ‘very good’ meeting, and it all ended with an unexpected gift

President Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro just wrapped up a meeting at the White House, and the two leaders, who have spent months trading vicious insults, actually had a “very good” discussion, as reported by The Hill. This is a massive shift in tone, especially considering the recent history between these two heads of state.

Petro delivered a major proposal to the president, complete with a list of global drug “kingpins” both nations should actively pursue. He thinks the U.S. and Colombia need to work in tandem to detain the real “kingpins of the kingpins.” He argues these major figures are living comfortably in major international hubs like Miami, Madrid, and Dubai. Petro told reporters that the capital of these criminal organizations is outside Colombia, and they must be pursued jointly through coordinated intelligence work.

The Oval Office meeting followed months of serious barbs being exchanged between the two. President Trump had previously accused Petro of “making cocaine and selling” it to the U.S. When asked about potential military action in Colombia last month, Trump simply responded, “sounds good to me.” Meanwhile, Petro was slamming the U.S. administration for its lethal strikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. He also hammered the president over the U.S. raid aimed at capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

Despite the history, both leaders sounded genuinely positive about the outcome

President Trump admitted that he and Petro “weren’t exactly the best of friends,” but he noted he wasn’t insulted because he had never actually met the Colombian president. Trump told reporters after the meeting, “I didn’t know at all. And we got along very well.” Petro echoed this sentiment, calling the discussion “positive” and productive. He said they discussed “concrete problems and possible paths forward,” even though he conceded that neither of them changed their thinking on “many issues.”

Petro explained that a pact isn’t made between “identical twins.” He continued, “A pact is between opponents who are able to find paths toward a shared human brotherhood.” Petro also took the time to clear up a major misunderstanding regarding intelligence sharing. Back in November, he had threatened to order Colombia’s security forces to halt sharing intelligence with the U.S. because of those U.S. military strikes on alleged drug boats.

Petro clarified that he “never canceled” intelligence sharing, even though he said he would. In fact, he confirmed that they have actually expanded intelligence sharing instead. Petro also denied that he requested that the president remove him from the Treasury Department’s Specially Designated Nationals List during the meeting.

To cap off this unexpectedly friendly summit, President Trump gave Petro an iconic piece of political gear: a “Make America Great Again” hat. Petro loved the sentiment but had a slight tweak in mind. He suggested adding a letter “S” so the slogan would read “Make Americas Great Again.” Petro also extended an invitation for President Trump to visit Cartagena, a beautiful port city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast.