Brazilian Senator and presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro met privately with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. The closed-door Oval Office meeting comes at a critical time for the right-wing lawmaker, who is attempting to resuscitate his struggling campaign ahead of Brazil’s October elections following a highly damaging financial controversy.
Speaking to reporters after the unpublicized meeting, Flávio—the eldest son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro—stated that he and Trump discussed cross-border organized crime, economic tariffs, and bilateral trade interest in critical minerals and rare earth elements. Flávio also revealed that Trump asked about his father, Jair, who is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence in Brazil for his role in a 2022–2023 coup attempt.
The high-profile Washington visit represents a strategic push by Flávio to leverage his family’s long-standing connection with Trump to overshadow a political crisis back home. His poll numbers have steadily slid since he admitted to seeking millions of dollars from a jailed Brazilian banker, who was arrested on major fraud charges, to finance a biographical film about his father. While Flávio maintains the transaction was a standard private investment involving no improper favors, the revelation has severely eroded his political standing and fractured alliances.
Flávio’s White House visit follows a separate, highly praised meeting between Trump and current leftist Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva earlier in the month. During his Washington press conference, Flávio drew sharp contrasts with his political rival, claiming he pushed Trump to designate prominent Brazilian criminal syndicates as terrorist organizations. A White House official confirmed the meeting took place but declined to provide further specifics.