Trump Defends Bolsonaro As Trial On Coup Charges Looms

Donald Trump accused Brazil of politically persecuting Jair Bolsonaro, launching a strident defense of the right-wing former president who is set to face trial on charges that he attempted a coup.

“I’ll be watching the WITCH HUNT of Jair Bolsonaro, his family, and thousands of his supporters, very closely,” Trump said in a Monday social media post. “The only Trial that should be happening is a Trial by the Voters of Brazil — It’s called an Election. LEAVE BOLSONARO ALONE!”

Bolsonaro, who forged close ties to Trump by mimicking his political and governing style during his time in office, will face trial later this year on charges that he attempted a coup against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva following his narrow defeat in the 2022 election.

Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro at the White House on March 19, 2019.

Brazil’s electoral court separately barred Bolsonaro from seeking or holding public office for eight years over claims that he spread fake news about the country’s electoral system ahead of the race. Despite the ban, Bolsonaro has insisted that he intends to run next year, and has sought Trump’s assistance in overturning the ruling and combating his legal woes.

The Brazilian real briefly slid to a session low after Trump’s social media post. It was down about 0.9% against the dollar alongside most major currencies Monday.

Trump, who drew links between Bolsonaro’s legal issues and his own in the post, had largely avoided directly involving himself in the Brazilian’s saga until now. His wading into the case raises the risk of political instability in Brazil, said Brendan McKenna, a strategist at Wells Fargo in New York.

Dan Pan, an economist at Standard Chartered Bank, said remarks like Trump’s “could interfere with Brazil’s electoral and judicial process” and are likely to make markets uncomfortable.

The American leader’s broadside came hours after he denounced members of the BRICS coalition, which includes Brazil, for being anti-American. In his post, Trump praised Bolsonaro a tough negotiator on trade.

Lula is hosting his fellow BRICS leaders in Rio de Janeiro for a summit that concludes Monday, and is due to speak publicly in the afternoon.

Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing in the case against him. In recent months, he has attempted to rally support behind proposed legislation to grant amnesty to Brazilians convicted of crimes related to Jan. 8, 2023 riots in the capital Brasilia, where thousands of his supporters stormed major government buildings shortly after Lula took office.