Democrats ask the right questions about Trump’s special treatment for Brazil’s Bolsonaro

Brazil's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, won a fourth term on Sunday over right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro, who then declined to accept the result. Within days, the Trump administration granted Bolsonaro and his family U. S. visas, and they flew to Florida, prompting House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats to demand an explanation from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to MS NOW.

Bolsonaro, whose father was imprisoned after attempting a coup, has faced accusations of money laundering and tax evasion, and his passport was confiscated. The New York Times reports that he is staying in Florida on temporary parole, a status normally reserved for humanitarian cases, which was arranged on orders from President Donald Trump. U. S. officials told the paper he will probably receive permanent residency later. A White House official reportedly organized the private jet that carried the family to Miami. Trump called the Brazilian vote an embarrassment and alleged irregularities without offering evidence, while conceding that his team gave Bolsonaro "a pass."

According to Politico, the Democrats' letter asks how the State Department worked with other agencies, whether officials knew of the investigations, and how much help they gave Bolsonaro in leaving Brazil.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →