Donald Trump allows Flávio Bolsonaro to remain in the U.S.

On October 31, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro may remain in the United States for as long as he wishes. The 45-year-old senator recently arrived in Miami with his family following the electoral defeat of his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Despite the offer of residency, President Trump explicitly stated he does not plan to meet with the senator.

Flávio Bolsonaro claims his departure from Brazil was necessary to avoid political persecution. He stated that on the Monday prior to his departure, authorities confiscated his passports as part of an investigation into money laundering, shortly after he visited his father, who is currently under house arrest. Senator Bolsonaro has not recognized the election results, framing his exit as a move for the benefit of Brazil.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Atlanta, clarified that the United States had no direct involvement in facilitating the senator's departure. The investigation into the senator remains ongoing in Brazil, while his presence in Florida marks a significant escalation in the tensions surrounding the Bolsonaro family and the current Brazilian administration.