Between selfies in Washington and losses in Ceará: the Trump era as seen here.

Barely recovered from hypothermia caused by the frigid streets of Washington, Priscila Costa (PL), the most voted councilwoman in Fortaleza and a devotee of the Bolsonaro sect, saw her selfies age poorly sooner than expected. Less than three weeks after loudly applauding Donald Trump, the US president (it's important not to confuse him with a Ceará native, in case the councilwoman is mistaken) announced a 25% increase in steel tariffs. And so Ceará became an involuntary victim of Trumpism. 

Priscila, leader of the opposition in the Fortaleza City Council, was the only representative from Ceará at Trump's inauguration ceremony on January 20th. With her impressive 36 votes, she made sure to document every moment of the trip. Other local figures, such as Carmelo Neto (PL), Dayany Bittencourt (União), and Captain Chloroquine (Mayra Pinheiro) (PL), considered going but decided against it. Priscila not only went but turned the visit into a bad reality show on social media. In videos and posts, she appeared emotional during a video call with the unviable and ineligible Bolsonaro. Her husband was also there; after all, nothing says "diplomatic mission" like a tourist trip with the "spouse."

But while Priscila is still enjoying the images in #TBTs (Throwback Thursdays), Ceará is feeling the first blows of the policies she so idolizes. The state, highly dependent on steel exports to the US, sees its economic prospects dwindling with the announcement of new tariffs on February 10th. In 2024, steel represented almost 40% of Ceará's foreign sales, around US$545 million, with 80% of those destined for the United States. Experts are already estimating a 20% drop in exports to the American market. This could mean a loss of more than R$600 million for the local economy—half a billion going down the drain due to bad decisions. If it depends on the councilwoman, she will make America great at the expense of her own state.

But the damage doesn't stop there. State revenue is expected to feel the impact, with fewer businesses closing and a considerable drop in ICMS – the tax that funds a large part of public services. Money that would be needed even to fill potholes in Fortaleza's streets, let alone invest in health or education. Up to 20% of jobs linked to the metallurgical industry could disappear, leaving entire families in line for unemployment benefits, while steel mills struggle to survive in an increasingly unstable market. 

Meanwhile, Priscila Costa and her Bolsonaro-supporting sect continue to display their peculiar patriotism, promising that March 16th (not January 20th anymore, girl?) will be the next anointed, cosmic, cabalistic date that will rid the country of communism and align it with Trump's economic doctrines that are causing unemployment in Ceará and unbalancing the state's finances. Brilliant.