Trump Defends Brazil's Bolsonaro, Calls Coup Trial a 'Terrible Thing'

Former U.S. President Donald Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to publicly defend former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing criminal charges for allegedly plotting a coup d’état after his 2022 electoral defeat. Trump described Bolsonaro's indictment as "political persecution" and claimed Brazil was treating him unfairly. He emphasized that Bolsonaro was only guilty of "fighting for the people" and compared the situation to his own legal battles in the U.S.

Trump and Bolsonaro, both right-wing leaders and political allies, have been accused of trying to undermine democratic institutions following their election losses. In Trump’s case, the controversy centers around the 2020 presidential election, in which he lost to Joe Biden. U.S. prosecutors allege Trump and his associates attempted to overturn the results by pressuring officials to falsely declare him the winner. This culminated in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, when Trump supporters stormed Congress in an effort to halt the certification of Biden’s victory. Trump was later federally indicted in Washington, D.C., and also faced charges in Georgia, although federal charges were dropped after he began a second term in January.

Similarly, Bolsonaro is accused of spreading misinformation about Brazil’s electronic voting system and refusing to concede his 2022 loss to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. His supporters, echoing his rhetoric, attacked government buildings in Brasília in protest. Brazilian prosecutors claim there is evidence of a coordinated plan by Bolsonaro and his allies to cling to power through a coup, potentially involving the assassination of Lula and other officials. Bolsonaro has denied all wrongdoing and maintains that the charges are politically motivated.

Trump called both his and Bolsonaro’s situations "witch hunts" aimed at discrediting them among voters. He argued that Bolsonaro should be judged by Brazilian voters, not in court, ending his post with a call to “Leave Bolsonaro Alone” and suggesting that the only trial should be through an election. However, Bolsonaro has been banned from holding public office until 2030 due to a separate case where Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court ruled that he abused power by casting doubts on the electoral process using state resources.

Trump and Bolsonaro, who both began their presidencies in 2017 and lost their first re-election bids, have often been compared—Bolsonaro is frequently dubbed the "Trump of the Tropics." Speculation has persisted that Trump might try to influence Bolsonaro’s legal battles through political pressure. For example, earlier this year, Trump’s media company joined a lawsuit in Florida against Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, accusing him of censoring right-wing views. De Moraes is currently presiding over Bolsonaro’s criminal case.

Brazilian President Lula, in a veiled response on social media, criticized foreign interference in Brazil’s legal system, stressing that democracy and justice in Brazil are matters for Brazilians alone. He emphasized that Brazil’s institutions are independent and that no one is above the law.

In response, Bolsonaro publicly thanked Trump, drawing parallels between their experiences and reiterating his claim of innocence, calling the trial a "legal aberration" and an example of "political persecution." If convicted, Bolsonaro could face up to 40 years in prison.