Trump calls Brazil election a 'disgrace' but says he did not take sides

United States President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he had not taken sides in Brazil's presidential election, but called the contest a "disgrace" and "a great embarrassment to the people of Brazil".

Asked by a reporter about the outcome, Trump said: "I watched the election. I didn't take sides. I let it be. I was asked not to take sides by the president, the current president."

He added: "But when I watched what went down in Brazil, it was a disgrace... take a look at the market, I mean their market went down through the floor."

His remarks came a day after former Brazilian senator Flavio Bolsonaro and his family fled Brazil and landed in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday.

Bolsonaro's route out of Brazil

Bolsonaro left Brazil under cover of darkness, crossing by land with his wife and two daughters into Argentina, where the government of Trump's right-wing ally President Javier Milei granted them visas. The family then took a small private plane to Ecuador and later to Miami.

The New York Times reported on Thursday that Bolsonaro and his family were aided in their journey by Trump and his administration. Officials told the newspaper the US government would likely provide the family with permanent residency.

Brazil's Supreme Court had ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his regular and diplomatic passports shortly after the election, in an attempt to ensure the right-wing senator did not leave the country before he could be investigated for embezzlement and money laundering.

Shortly after landing, Bolsonaro said in a statement that he was "the true elected president of Brazil" and that the allegations against him were "a politically motivated witch-hunt". He asked the international community "not to normalise what is happening in Brazil" and said he would lead the country's opposition from the US. He did not provide evidence for his claims.

The election result

On Sunday, Bolsonaro lost a run-off election for Brazil's presidency to the left-wing incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva by more than four million votes. The Brazilian real dropped against the dollar by 12 percent in spot trading after the election.

Bolsonaro's own Liberal Party said on Monday that it was accepting the outcome. Brazil's Supreme Court also dispelled rumours on Wednesday that a search warrant had been issued for his home.

Extradition questions

Although Brazil and the US have had an extradition treaty for several decades, it is unclear whether Washington would turn Bolsonaro over, or whether Brazilian authorities would indict him and request such a move.

Flavio Bolsonaro's father, former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, made a very similar journey to Florida after losing his own re-election bid in 2022. While he was in the US, the elder Bolsonaro's supporters attempted to orchestrate a coup, and some in Brazil called for the country to seek his extradition. He later returned to Brazil and is currently under house arrest there.

Source: Al Jazeera.