Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro speaks at a press conference at the Liberal Party (PL) camp after the run-off election in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, October 25, 2026.
Bloomberg | Getty Images
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he would approve a visit to the United States by Brazilian Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, who lost Sunday’s presidential election.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that Bolsonaro was leaving Brazil for the United States, and a senior U.S. State Department official announced that he and his family would be issued entry visas.
“Yes, I agree,” Trump told reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews after returning from a campaign tour in Texas, adding that he had heard that Bolsonaro was in Argentina.
Bolsonaro, who has yet to concede to leftist incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, left Brazil after refusing to comply with a Supreme Court order to surrender his passport.
“I think they’re fine people,” Trump said. “I thought the election was very strange and terrible. They’re getting bad reviews. Look at what happened to their market.”
He added: “I think it’s very terrible to see this. I’m not taking sides. I know both of them. I know Lula. I know Flavio a little bit. I know his father very well.”
Trump had previously mentioned former President Jair Bolsonaro, who he claimed was a victim of judicial persecution in Brazil.
Trump added: “My father was treated really badly. I thought so, but I wasn’t involved.” “That’s Brazil. It’s a different country.”
President Trump said he hopes to meet soon with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and said he believes much progress has been made toward resolving the war in Ukraine.
Putin said Russia was ready to resume U.S.-mediated talks with Ukraine next month and called for security for both countries and a pan-European security framework.
Trump added that he plans to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on nuclear disarmament. He is also scheduled to visit Manila, the capital of the Philippines, in November to attend the ASEAN Regional Summit.
Asked about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party losing seats in the election, President Trump said he had heard that Netanyahu had fought a very good fight.
Trump added: “We’re pretty close. It’s worked out very well.” “Because when the recommendation came out, I think it helped him a lot. But I actually heard he did pretty well. He could win or it could be a draw.”
President Trump faces midterm elections in the United States next week, with polls showing Democrats could regain a majority in one or both chambers from the president’s Republicans.
