The President of the United States, Donald Trump, criticized on Monday the judicial process against former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, accused of attempting a coup after losing the 2022 elections.
Trump denounced a “political persecution” and a “witch hunt,” drawing parallels with the legal proceedings he is facing for his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election, including the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“Brasil treats former President Jair Bolsonaro terribly. They have only pursued him day after day, night after night. He has not committed any crime, except for fighting for his people,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social network.
The American president praised Bolsonaro, describing him as a “strong leader” who “truly loves his country” and highlighted his firmness as a commercial negotiator. He recalled that Bolsonaro came close to winning the elections and now leads the polls. According to Trump, the judicial system is trying to remove a popular opponent from the race. “This is an attack against a political rival, something I know firsthand. It has happened to me over and over again,” he stated.
Trump stated that he is closely monitoring the situation in Brazil and reiterated his support for Bolsonaro, his family, and thousands of his followers, who are also facing legal proceedings. “The only judgment that should matter is that of the ballot box. It’s called elections. Leave Bolsonaro alone!” he concluded.
Brazilian authorities hold Bolsonaro and seven other close associates responsible for leading a plot that attempted to overthrow the rule of law by force. They promoted mobilizations that culminated on January 8, 2023, with the assault on the headquarters of the three branches of government in Brasilia, an episode that showed disturbing similarities with the attack on the Capitol in Washington.
Both Trump and Bolsonaro rejected the election results and encouraged unfounded fraud claims. In both countries, their supporters engaged in violent acts that jeopardized institutional stability.
In the United States, federal prosecutors accused Trump of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election results. In Brazil, the Supreme Federal Court is investigating whether Bolsonaro directed or facilitated the insurrection, while dozens of his supporters are already facing convictions for the events.
Trump is the first elected president of the United States with a criminal conviction. In May 2024, a New York jury found him guilty of 34 serious crimes related to the cover-up of payments intended to silence a porn actress during his 2016 presidential campaign, in the well-known hush money case.