Trump calls for immediate end to ‘unjust' trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro
President Donald Trump is calling for an immediate end to the trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who he said is the victim of 'unjust' politically motivated attacks.
The Brazilian leader is facing an investigation and an upcoming trial accusing him of leading an attempted coup to stay in office after his 2022 election defeat.
Earlier this week, Bolsonaro's son, Eduardo, was at the White House for meetings.
He later said in a video posted to social media that 'decisions are being made' with respect to possible sanctions against Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes that the US has been considering.
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'I have seen the terrible treatment you are receiving at the hands of an unjust system turned against you. This should end immediately!' Trump wrote in a letter he sent to Bolsonaro, which the president posted on his Truth Social account Thursday evening.
3 Trump meets with Former President of Brazil Jair Bolsonoro at the White House on May 19, 2019.
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'I share your commitment to listening to the voice of the people and I am very concerned about the attacks on free speech – both in Brazil and in the United States – coming out of the current government. I have strongly voiced my disapproval both publicly and through our Tariff policy.'
Last week, Trump threatened a 50% tariff on products from Brazil in a letter to the country's president that cited the ongoing case against Bolsonaro.
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In November, Federal Police filed a 884-page report with Brazilian Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet detailing the scheme that alleged Bolsonaro and 33 others participated in a plan to remain in power despite losing to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
3 Bolsonaro speaks to the press next to his son Senator Flavio Bolsonaro at the Federal Senate in Brasilia on July 17, 2025.
AFP via Getty Images
They allege it involved systematically sowing distrust of the electoral system among the populace, drafting a decree to give the plot a veneer of legality, pressuring top military brass to go along with the plan and inciting a riot in the capital.
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A panel of justices on Brazil's Supreme Court accepted the charges against Bolsonaro in March, and it ordered the former leader to stand trial.
All five justices ruled in favor of accepting the charges, which included accusations involving a plan to poison Bolsonaro's successor and kill a Supreme Court judge.
Under Brazilian law, a coup conviction carries a sentence of up to 12 years. When combined with the other charges, it could result in a sentence of decades behind bars.
In his letter to Bolsonaro, Trump said it was his 'sincere hope' that the government in Brazil 'changes course, stops attacking political opponents, and ends their ridiculous censorship regime.'
'I will be watching closely,' Trump added.
For his part, Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing, telling reporters, 'I have no concerns about the accusations, zero.'
3 Trump and Bolsonaro at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, on March 7, 2020.
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The Washington Post reported Thursday that, according to four sources familiar with the situation, the US is considering levying sanctions against Judge Moraes, who is leading the case against Bolsonaro.
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The sanctions, according to the sources who spoke with the Post, would come under the Magnitsky Act, which allows the US to impose sanctions against foreign nationals accused of corruption.
After Trump threatened 50% tariffs on Brazil over the case against Bolsonaro, his successor, Lula, vowed retaliation.
'If there's no negotiation, the reciprocity law will be put to work. If he charges 50 (% tariffs) from us, we will charge 50 from them,' Lula said, according to The Associated Press. 'Respect is good. I like to offer mine, and I like to receive it.'
Fox News Digital's Emma Colton contributed to this report.
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Washington Post
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What to know about the trial of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro will wear an electronic ankle monitor on orders from the Supreme Court, where he is on trial for allegedly masterminding a coup plot to remain in office despite his defeat in the 2022 election. The case received renewed attention after President Donald Trump directly tied a 50% tariff on Brazilian imported goods to Bolsonaro's judicial situation, which Trump called a ' witch hunt .'
Associated Press
3 minutes ago
- Associated Press
What to know about the trial of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro
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