The Trump administration has reportedly decided not to immediately endorse Flavio Bolsonaro’s claim to lead Brazil.
Bolsonaro and his family reportedly reached Miami via Argentina and Ecuador.
Washington’s cautious approach comes amid strained US-Brazil relations, following sanctions against Brazilian officials and Donald Trump’s criticism of the election, which Lula won by 3.5 percentage points.
The Donald Trump administration has no immediate plans to back Flavio Bolsonaro’s claim to be Brazil’s rightful leader, despite helping the defeated candidate reach the United States after years of supporting him and his father, according to a Reuters report citing US officials and people familiar with the matter.
President Donald Trump has questioned the conduct of Brazil’s October 27 election, describing it as having a “very bad look”, but has stopped short of endorsing Bolsonaro’s political ambitions. Incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won re-election by a margin of 3.5 percentage points.
Two people familiar with the matter, including a US official, told Reuters on Thursday that Trump had no current plans to support Bolsonaro, although they cautioned that the president could change his position.
Flavio Bolsonaro’s Departure From Brazil Raises Political Questions
Bolsonaro’s departure followed a Brazilian Supreme Court order requiring him to surrender his passport. Federal police had sought the order as part of investigations into two alleged money-laundering schemes.
The police request reportedly came minutes after Lula’s election victory was called, according to Brazilian media reports. Some conservative supporters have cited the timing as evidence of political motivation, while supporters of Lula’s government have pointed to earlier comments by Flavio’s brother Eduardo, who suggested before the election that Flavio should leave Brazil if he lost.
Argentine authorities said Flavio Bolsonaro, his wife and their two daughters crossed a bridge into northern Argentina at 10.50 pm on Tuesday before boarding a chartered aircraft at 11.30 pm. The family subsequently flew to Miami via Ecuador.
Jason Miller, a Trump adviser close to the Bolsonaro family, helped arrange the flight from Argentina, according to a person familiar with the matter, the report said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio subsequently recommended that Bolsonaro and his family be admitted to the US, a proposal Trump approved, the report said.
In an open letter posted on X on Wednesday, Bolsonaro initially declared himself “the elected president”. He later deleted that version and replaced it with another in which he described himself as Brazil’s rightful “leader”.
Another official told Reuters that Bolsonaro’s decision to leave Brazil could weaken his political standing. Some Brazilian conservatives who had expected him to lead the opposition have criticised his departure, while Brazilian officials believe his absence could benefit Lula by weakening conservative forces in Congress.
Trump Seeks To Avoid Fresh Diplomatic Rift With Brazil
The Trump administration’s reported reluctance to support Bolsonaro comes against the backdrop of a turbulent period in US-Brazil relations.
Flavio’s father, former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, was imprisoned after being convicted over an attempt to overturn the result of the 2022 election and remain in power. He served as president from 2019 to 2023 before losing to Lula.
The US imposed sanctions last year on the judge overseeing Jair Bolsonaro’s trial and other Brazilian officials. Washington later lifted the sanctions after Trump and Lula had a notably cordial interaction on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Relations between the two governments had also been strained by allegations of US involvement in Brazil’s domestic political affairs. During the election campaign, Brazilian officials objected to what they described as efforts by some American officials to support the Bolsonaro campaign.
Despite questioning the election, Trump has refrained from directly attacking Lula, who defeated Bolsonaro’s camp to secure another term. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump said he had a good relationship with the Brazilian president.
“I like Lula, I get along with him very well,” Trump said, while adding that he thought the election “had a very bad look”.
The administration’s position suggests that, for now, Washington is seeking to keep its options open rather than publicly endorse Flavio Bolsonaro’s claim to leadership. Whether Trump eventually backs the Bolsonaro family’s political ambitions remains uncertain.
