Most Brazilians reject Trump’s intrusion in Bolsonaro’s trial

A survey by Genial/Quaest released on Wednesday, 16, revealed that most Brazilians disagree with criticism made by Donald Trump to the judicial process involving former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL). According to the survey, 57% of respondents said that the former president of the United States has no legitimacy to give an opinion on the case.

The survey was conducted between July 10 and 14, with 2,004 in -person interviews throughout Brazil. The margin of error is two percentage points, with confidence level of 95%. The data were released by CNN Brazil.

According to the survey, only 36% of Brazilians consider Trump’s statements appropriate. Another 7% said they did not know or preferred not to answer. The former president’s criticism occur at a time of diplomatic tension between the two countries, aggravated by the announcement of tariffs on Brazilian products.

Last weekend, Trump sent a letter to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT), in which he directly criticized the lawsuit against Bolsonaro. He classified the action as a “witch hunt” and said the trial represents an “international misfortune.”

“I met and had contact with former President Jair Bolsonaro, and respected him deeply, just like most other world leaders,” Trump wrote. “The way Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro […] It is an international misfortune. This judgment should not be happening. It is a witch hunt that should end immediately! ”He concluded.

The reaction of Brazilians, according to Quaest data, shows a distance between internal perception and international demonstrations about the process that investigates the attempted coup d’état on 8 January 2023. Bolsonaro is a defendant in the Supreme Court (STF) for alleged participation in undemocratic acts and attempted to subvert the result of the 2022 elections.

Trump’s letter was released a few days after he announced the application of a 50% rate on Brazilian imported Brazilian products. The measure is scheduled to take effect on August 1 and reaches sectors such as steel and aluminum, with direct impact on trade balance between the two countries.

The Brazilian government responded to statements with caution. According to interlocutors of the Planalto Palace, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the economic area study possible retaliation measures, including restrictions on US products.

The political impact of Trump’s position was also analyzed in another part of the genius/Quaest research released this week. The dispute between Lula and Bolsonaro, as well as the influence of international leaders on Brazil’s internal policy, has been monitored by consultancies and parties.

Also according to the survey, most of the population became aware of the letter sent by Trump. The content generated repercussions on social networks and divided opinions between Bolsonaro supporters and critics of the former president.

Trump’s speech is not the first demonstration of Bolsonaro support made by international leaders. On other occasions, the former US president had already declared solidarity with conservative allies in Latin America. The difference is now in the reaction of Brazilian society, which, according to the data, mostly rejects the attempt to interference in the judicial process.

Jair Bolsonaro’s trial in the STF is still in the instructional phase, but already has the collection of evidence, testimonials and technical analysis by the Federal Police. The Attorney General’s Office maintains that there was an attempt to coup with direct involvement of members of the previous government, including the former president himself.

Trump’s letter rekindled the debate on the sovereignty of the Brazilian judiciary and the limits of the performance of foreign public figures on internal issues. The genius/Quaest research shows that this debate is being closely monitored by the population, with wide rejection of any attempt to delegitimize the ongoing judicial process.

According to political analysts, the response of the Brazilian population can have effects on both the diplomatic field and in the electoral dynamics. The association between Trump and Bolsonaro, although still strong among the most aligned voters on the right, does not seem to generate consensus outside this base.

The survey was commissioned by the genius Investments and is part of a series of periodic surveys that accompany public opinion on political, economic and institutional issues in Brazil.