Trump backs Bolsonaro's US stay, questions Brazil election legitimacy

Donald Trump said Thursday that Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's former president, could stay in the United States for as long as he wishes, while describing the Brazilian election that led to Bolsonaro's defeat as a "disgrace." Trump's comments mark a significant political intervention in Brazilian affairs at a time of heightened diplomatic engagement between Washington and Brasília.

Bolsonaro departed Brazil following his electoral loss despite polling favorably in several opinion surveys ahead of the vote. His exit occurred after a Brazilian Supreme Court justice ordered his passport revoked, effectively restricting his ability to leave the country. The former leader faces two separate federal money-laundering investigations in Brazil, and domestic authorities had flagged him as a potential flight risk.

The remarks emerged as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio engaged in discussions with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, signaling ongoing high-level diplomatic contact between the two nations. The timing of Trump's statement underscores deepening political divisions over the legitimacy of Brazil's election process, with implications for US-Brazil relations under the incoming administration.