Now this isn’t fair.
Brazil’s Supreme Court recently denied a request from former President Jair Bolsonaro to temporarily regain his passport so he could attend the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Bolsonaro, a strong supporter of Trump, had hoped to attend the ceremony in Washington on January 20, but Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who has often clashed with the former president, ruled against the request. Moraes argued that Bolsonaro no longer held a position that would justify his representing Brazil at such an event, and he also questioned whether the former president had actually been invited.
Bolsonaro, who is currently under investigation for multiple allegations, including his role in efforts to overturn his 2022 election defeat, had his passport seized by federal police in February 2024 due to concerns that he might flee the country. He denies the accusations and maintains that the charges are politically motivated. The request to travel to the U.S. was part of a broader appeal to attend Trump’s inauguration and a related event, a Hispanic inaugural ball, as a representative of Brazil’s conservative values. Bolsonaro has long been a vocal admirer of Trump, and he expressed excitement about the invitation on social media earlier this month, describing the event as an opportunity to represent “the conservative, the right-wing, the good, the Brazilian people.”
However, when Bolsonaro’s legal team provided a letter of invitation from the inauguration’s committee, Justice de Moraes deemed it insufficient. The judge emphasized that Bolsonaro’s personal interest in the trip could not outweigh the public interest in keeping him in the country due to his status as a flight risk. De Moraes also pointed to Bolsonaro’s prior encouragement of his supporters to seek asylum abroad in the face of legal challenges, noting that several individuals involved in the January 8, 2023 riots had already fled Brazil to avoid prosecution.
Bolsonaro’s passport had also been blocked earlier in 2024 following a similar request to attend a trip to Israel, where he had been invited by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bolsonaro continues to face multiple investigations, including one involving his alleged involvement in a plot to undermine Brazil’s 2022 election results. He has also been accused of falsifying his COVID-19 vaccination status, and there are rumors he could face charges related to luxury jewelry gifted by Saudi officials.
As Bolsonaro remains entangled in legal battles, many Republicans, who admire his bold and unapologetic style of governance, see his ongoing struggles as a reflection of the broader global fight against left-wing political persecution. Bolsonaro’s supporters argue that the Brazilian judiciary is targeting him for his conservative stance and that the legal system is being weaponized against him, much like the charges against Trump. With the former president’s legal challenges mounting, it is clear that both Bolsonaro and Trump continue to face intense scrutiny from the establishment—but their supporters remain hopeful they will ultimately prevail.