Trump Withholds Brazil Endorsement as Flávio Bolsonaro Leads Into Round 2
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 5
Trump Withholds Brazil Endorsement as Flávio Bolsonaro Leads Into Round 2
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 5
Summary
A White House adviser said Trump’s silence in Brazil’s presidential race was deliberate, an unusual choice that may have helped ally Flávio Bolsonaro heading into the next round.
May meetings at the White House show Bolsonaro’s team planned not to seek Trump’s endorsement, even though the U.S. president is a political ally and family friend.
The strategy appears aimed at avoiding the risks of overt U.S. involvement while preserving Trump’s value as a behind-the-scenes asset for Bolsonaro’s campaign.
The episode underscores how Trump’s influence abroad can extend beyond public backing, with restraint itself becoming a campaign tool in a high-stakes foreign election.