Republican Congressman Blasts President Petro After Trump Comments: 'A Clown Who's Cost Colombia Dearly'

U.S. Congressman Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) escalated his ongoing feud with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, calling the leftist leader "a clown" and accusing him of being a drug addict.

"Mr. Petro, I don't know if it's the drugs you consume that have damaged your brain or if it's your thirst for attention," said Gimenez through a post on X. "You say one thing and then contradict yourself. You've proven to be a complete clown, one that has cost the people of Colombia dearly."

The remark came in response to a post by Petro denying a previous claim from Gimenez that he had threatened U.S. President Donald Trump.

"I didn't threaten Trump," Petro wrote. "I only said that Trump should change his heart — stop defending policies of death in the world, such as the genocide in Palestine, and embrace policies of life. If that change doesn't happen, then the American people themselves will replace Trump, because humanity cannot head toward collective suicide."

Gimenez's original post included a clip of Petro's interview with Colombian journalist Daniel Coronell in which the president said, among many things, that he "trusted that the democratic reserve of U.S. institutions will be capable of placing science and truth above slander, arrogance, and greed," adding that "there are two paths: either Trump changes, or they remove Trump."

Gimenez captioned the video:

"🚨#BREAKING In an interview with @UniNoticias, Colombia's narcoterrorist-in-chief Gustavo Petro has just threatened to 'overthrow' President Trump. Petro's threats must be taken seriously; he is a genuine threat to the safety and security of our hemisphere."

The exchange marks the latest in a series of public confrontations between the two officials, reflecting broader tensions between Washington and Bogotá under Petro's presidency. In early September, Gimenez accused Petro of "complicity with drug cartels" after the Colombian president condemned a U.S. military strike near Venezuela that killed 11 people aboard a vessel Washington described as linked to narcotraffickers.

Petro argued the victims were impoverished Colombians forced into illegal work and said the U.S. action amounted to "murder." Gimenez fired back, calling Petro's comments "offensive and insulting to the hardworking people of Colombia."

Petro's interview with Univision Noticias also drew attention for his contrasting views on Venezuela's Maduro and the country's recent Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado. According to Petro, Maduro "is reacting so that Venezuela begins to have an economy without oil," while Machado represents "a person who invites the invasion of their own country."

He added, "For me, a despicable person is one who invites others to invade their own country — a traitor, period."