Trump says Flavio Bolsonaro can stay in US 'as long as he wants'

By Ahmet Salih Alacaci

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro could remain in the US as long as he wanted.

Speaking to reporters during a Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump said he had no plans to meet Bolsonaro, who arrived in Miami last week.

"No plans to meet, but I think he got treated very shabbily. Very shabbily. So, he can stay here as long as he wants," Trump said.

Asked whether he had spoken with Bolsonaro, Trump did not directly answer but reiterated his support for the former presidential candidate.

"In my opinion, the election was a disgrace," he added.

Bolsonaro, the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, lost last week's presidential runoff to incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

He subsequently left Brazil despite a judicial order requiring him to surrender his passports as part of investigations into alleged money laundering and financial misconduct.

Brazilian authorities have been examining the circumstances of his departure and whether foreign officials helped facilitate his travel.

- Bolsonaro reportedly granted temporary US immigration authorization

Bolsonaro entered the US under discretionary parole, a temporary immigration authorization allowing him to remain in the country until October 2027, Brazilian media reported, citing US Customs and Border Protection records.

The authorization does not grant permanent immigration status.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that Washington was not directly involved in arranging Bolsonaro's departure from Brazil.

Trump's remarks come amid diplomatic tensions between Washington and Brasilia, with Brazilian officials seeking clarification about the circumstances of Bolsonaro's arrival in the US.

International election observers have endorsed the credibility of Brazil's presidential election results.