TRUMP BACKS FLÁVIO BOLSONARO’S MOVE TO THE UNITED STATES AFTER BRAZIL ELECTION DEFEAT, DEEPENING DIPLOMATIC TENSIONS WITH LULA

October 28, 2026

WASHINGTON / BRASÍLIA, OCTOBER 28, 2026 — US President Donald Trump has voiced approval of Brazilian senator Flávio Bolsonaro’s arrival in the United States following his defeat in Brazil’s presidential election, a development that threatens to intensify tensions between Washington and the government of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Trump’s comments came after the US State Department indicated that it would issue entry visas to Flávio Bolsonaro and his family. The senator, the son of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, reportedly left Brazil after losing Sunday’s presidential runoff and failing to comply with a Supreme Court order requiring him to surrender his passports.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump said he would approve of Bolsonaro coming to the United States, describing the Bolsonaro family as “fine people”. He also questioned the circumstances of Brazil’s election, calling it “very strange” and expressing dissatisfaction with the result. Although Trump said he had not taken sides, his remarks echoed his longstanding sympathy for the Bolsonaro family and his criticism of the Brazilian judiciary.

The US president’s comments have acquired particular significance because Lula has accused Washington of attempting to influence Brazil’s political direction in favour of the Bolsonaro family. Reports of American efforts to strengthen the family’s political position before the election had already placed bilateral relations under strain. The decision to permit Flávio Bolsonaro and his family to enter the United States could deepen those suspicions.

Flávio Bolsonaro lost the presidential runoff to Lula, who secured approximately 51.75 per cent of the vote against the senator’s 48.25 per cent, according to reported electoral figures. Although the result represented a decisive victory for Lula, Flávio had not formally conceded defeat at the time of the reports. He had indicated that his campaign would seek to challenge the result over alleged electoral irregularities, while his Liberal Party subsequently acknowledged Lula’s victory.

The senator’s departure also coincided with a legal dispute in Brazil. The Supreme Court had ordered him to surrender his regular and diplomatic passports within 24 hours as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering. Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing. After the deadline passed, his passports were reportedly cancelled, and his departure from the country raised questions about how he had travelled despite the court order.

The precise route of his journey initially remained unclear. Argentine authorities reported that Bolsonaro and his family had briefly entered the country before travelling onwards, while subsequent media reports said he had arrived in the United States, where his brother Eduardo Bolsonaro resides. The US administration’s decision to grant visas became a central element of the developing diplomatic controversy.

Lula responded critically to news of the senator’s departure, describing it as shameful and arguing that Bolsonaro should have remained in Brazil to defend himself against the allegations. His position reflects the Brazilian government’s concern that a politically prominent figure facing legal scrutiny may seek refuge abroad rather than address the proceedings at home.

The controversy also recalls the conduct of Jair Bolsonaro after his defeat in Brazil’s 2022 presidential election. The former president travelled to the United States before eventually returning to Brazil. He was later sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup following the post-election assault on government institutions in Brasília by his supporters. Trump has repeatedly argued that the elder Bolsonaro was treated unfairly by Brazil’s judicial system.

Flávio Bolsonaro’s case, however, involves distinct legal and political circumstances. His departure followed a separate election defeat and an order connected to an ongoing investigation. The existence of an investigation does not itself establish guilt, and Bolsonaro has denied the allegations against him. Equally, the questions surrounding compliance with the passport order remain matters for the relevant Brazilian authorities and courts.

The episode places Washington and Brasília at the intersection of electoral politics, judicial independence and diplomatic relations. For the Trump administration, permitting Bolsonaro and his family to enter the United States is a decision concerning immigration and political relations. For Lula’s government, the timing risks reinforcing concerns that Washington is willing to provide political support to an opposition figure whose domestic legal position is under scrutiny.

The dispute could complicate cooperation between the two largest countries in the Americas on trade, investment, energy and regional diplomacy. The United States and Brazil have extensive economic links, but their relationship has also been affected by differences over political leadership, judicial proceedings and the interpretation of democratic legitimacy.

The immediate implications will depend on whether Bolsonaro remains in the United States, how Brazilian authorities respond to his departure and whether the legal proceedings against him lead to further judicial action. His presence in the country could also provide a platform for continued political activity among supporters of the Bolsonaro family, although the extent of any such activity remains uncertain.

Trump’s endorsement does not resolve the legal questions confronting Bolsonaro in Brazil, nor does it alter the official result of the presidential election. It does, however, introduce a further international dimension to Brazil’s post-election tensions.

As Lula begins another presidential term following his electoral victory, the dispute presents a test for the relationship between the two governments. The central questions now concern the boundaries between diplomatic discretion and political intervention, the authority of Brazil’s courts and the ability of Washington and Brasília to prevent an already contentious episode from developing into a wider bilateral confrontation.