Trump approved allowing Flávio Bolsonaro to enter US after Brazil election loss, source says
Trump Approved Flávio Bolsonaro’s US Entry
Healfromzero.com – Trump approved allowing Flávio Bolsonaro to enter the United States after the Brazilian senator lost the country’s presidential runoff, according to a Trump adviser. The decision came as Bolsonaro faced a court order in Brazil requiring him to surrender his passports.
US administration officials learned Monday that Flávio Bolsonaro had been given about 24 hours to turn over his travel documents. They then communicated that he would be allowed to travel to the United States, the adviser said.
Visas were issued for Bolsonaro and members of his family. By Tuesday afternoon, a person familiar with the matter said he had arrived in the United States, although his location was not immediately known. It was also unclear whether he spoke directly with Trump before leaving Brazil.
Brazilian passport order and investigation
Flávio Bolsonaro, a conservative politician and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, was ordered by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes to surrender his passports within 24 hours. Brazilian police delivered the order in person, and Bolsonaro said in an Instagram video that he had been told he could not leave the country.
“I did not intend to flee,” Bolsonaro said in the video.
He left Brazil after Sunday’s election, when President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated him by 4.4 million votes in the second round. Bolsonaro had been considered a leading contender before Lula’s late campaign surge produced a surprise outcome.
Brazil’s Federal Police later canceled Bolsonaro’s passports after he did not surrender them. His route out of the country has not been established. Reports raised the possibility that he traveled through Argentina, but Argentine authorities said they had no record of his entry.
“No record of Flávio Bolsonaro entering,” the Argentine government said.
No arrest warrant had been issued when he left Brazil. However, legal analysts said failure to comply with a judicial passport order could potentially become grounds for one.
Allegations the senator denies
Flávio Bolsonaro is under investigation by Brazil’s highest court over allegations involving corruption, money laundering and currency evasion. He has denied wrongdoing.
One investigation concerns alleged illegal online betting platforms. Another focuses on financing connected to “Dark Horse,” a biopic about Jair Bolsonaro. Federal police believe funds linked to the production may have come from Banco Master, which collapsed amid a $7 billion Ponzi-like scheme in 2025.
A Brazilian figure close to Bolsonaro said he feared detention if he remained in Brazil. Bolsonaro, his Liberal Party and the Federal Police were contacted for comment after his departure.
Trump’s support for the Bolsonaro family
Trump approved allowing Flávio Bolsonaro to enter as the US president continued to support the Bolsonaro family publicly. Trump had previously imposed tariffs on Brazil in response to the criminal case involving Jair Bolsonaro and claimed without evidence that Lula’s latest election victory was “rigged.”
Lula criticized his defeated opponent’s departure, calling it shameful and saying Bolsonaro should have remained in Brazil to address the allegations through the courts. Bolsonaro initially declined to concede the election, saying his campaign would seek to annul the result.
The case also recalls Jair Bolsonaro’s actions after his 2022 election defeat. The former president traveled to Orlando, Florida, and remained there for three months. He later received a 27-year prison sentence over efforts to overturn the 2022 result.
Frequently asked questions in Brazil
Why was Flávio Bolsonaro ordered to surrender his passports? Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered the senator to hand over his passports while he was under investigation. Police delivered the order and informed him that he could not leave the country.
Did Trump approve allowing Flávio Bolsonaro to enter legally? A Trump adviser said the president personally approved his entry, while US visas were issued to Bolsonaro and family members.
Has Flávio Bolsonaro been arrested in Brazil? No arrest warrant had been issued at the time he left Brazil. His failure to surrender his passports could still have legal consequences, according to legal analysts.