In an interview released Thursday, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro expressed his hope that new US President Donald Trump would back his political comeback in the 2026 elections, even though he is being charged with a coup plan.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Bolsonaro is counting on Trump to exert pressure on Brazilian judges to postpone the implementation of a court decision that prevents him from office until 2030 for unjustly disparaging Brazil’s voting system before the 2022 elections that he lost.
“Trump is back, and it’s a sign we’ll be back too,” said Bolsonaro, who the newspaper reported had been in close contact with the Republican since his US election victory in early November.
A spokesperson for Trump’s incoming administration did not respond to a request for comment, the Wall Street Journal said.
Bolsonaro — a hard-right populist widely dubbed the “Tropical Trump” during his 2019-2023 term — has remained politically active since leaving office, recently campaigning for the right-wing Liberal Party ahead of October municipal elections.
Like Trump, he has blamed his legal issues on apparent political persecution.
Brazilian police have accused Bolsonaro of participating in a 2022 plot to prevent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office, and of being aware of an alleged plan to assassinate the incumbent.
He is accused alongside 36 other people named as co-conspirators in a police report made public this week. Brazil’s attorney general is examining the allegations to see if the evidence supports the charges.
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