Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, once known as the “Trump of the tropics,” appears to be on the verge of a conviction for his role in a failed coup attempt launched after he lost his last election. And on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared to threaten Brazil with “military might” if Bolsonaro should face repercussions.
Leavitt’s eyebrow-raising remarks came Tuesday at a White House press briefing, after she was asked a meandering question related to two Brazilian judges who voted this week to convict Bolsonaro. (The final verdict is expected Thursday, after the other members of Brazil’s five-person Supreme Court have weighed in.) Conservative content-creator Michael Shellenberger — who was tapped in 2020 by Elon Musk to push the since-debunked “Twitter Files” conspiracy that alleged censorship by the U.S. government — suggested Bolsonaro’s likely conviction is related to “censorship” and asked Leavitt if the administration would respond if that prevented him from running for office in the future.
Leavitt’s response tried to portray the administration as a bastion of free speech and touted its tariffs against Brazil as a response to the case against Bolsonaro.
“I don’t have any additional actions to preview for today, but I can tell you this is a priority for the administration and the president is unafraid to use the economic might, the military might, of the United States to protect free speech around the world,” she said.
Trump is actually waging an open assault on free speech in the United States (famously, part of “the world”). So Leavitt’s spin here is detached from reality. But her reference to “military might” in the context of defending an ousted authoritarian ruler is noteworthy. Not only does such a threat run counter to the president’s campaign vow to avoid launching new wars, but it also arguably puts Brazil on notice that the U.S. may consider using force to prevent the country from holding Bolsonaro accountable.
It’s unclear whether Leavitt’s remarks here are mere bluster from a press secretary who’s made that her calling card. I’ve reached out to the Defense Department for clarity on its position on Brazil. Nonetheless, Leavitt’s remarks are undeniably ominous. The administration’s missile strike on a civilian boat off the coast of Venezuela arguably demonstrates its willingness to use military force with South American nations that run afoul of its agenda or misalign with its politics. And in the case of Brazil, many Americans may have concerns about the prospect of the U.S. military being used just to protect one of the president’s authoritarian allies.
Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.
Latest Post
Recommended
