Trump administration does not plan to back Brazilian Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro’s claim to be country’s rightful leader

The Trump administration has no current plans to recognize Brazilian Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro as the country’s rightful leader after his defeat to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, despite helping Bolsonaro and his family enter the United States, according to Reuters.

A U.S. official and another person familiar with the matter said President Donald Trump is not currently planning to support Bolsonaro’s political claim, although they cautioned that Trump could change his position.

Bolsonaro declared himself Brazil’s rightful leader after arriving in Miami this week. He alleged that Lula and Brazil’s Supreme Court had carried out an electoral coup, but has provided no evidence of fraud.

Lula won Sunday’s presidential runoff by about 3.5 percentage points, or more than 4 million votes.

Trump has said the Brazilian election appeared “rigged,” but has also stressed that he did not endorse either candidate and has said he gets along well with Lula.

The U.S. government nevertheless helped Bolsonaro leave Brazil. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recommended admitting him and his family, and U.S. authorities granted them humanitarian parole after Bolsonaro traveled through Argentina and Ecuador to reach Miami.

Bolsonaro left Brazil after refusing to comply with a Supreme Court order requiring him to surrender his passports amid investigations that include alleged money laundering.

His claim to national leadership has also failed to win broad support among major conservative allies inside Brazil, leaving him increasingly isolated after the election defeat.

Reuters reported that the Trump administration appears reluctant to trigger another confrontation with Brasília by formally backing Bolsonaro’s claim.