Cold Shoulder: Trump Gives Lukewarm Response to Ally Bolsonaro’s Arrest

The arrest of Jair Bolsonaro has caused ripples even among his international allies, most notably Donald Trump, who offered a conspicuously lukewarm reaction. The former Brazilian President was detained after federal police suspected he was preparing to flee the country, a suspicion fueled by the discovery that he had interfered with his electronic monitoring device.
Bolsonaro attempted to defend his actions in a subsequent custody hearing, claiming that a “psychotic attack” induced by a potent mix of painkillers and antidepressants led him to believe his ankle monitor was a secret listening device. He admitted to using a soldering iron on the device before the episode concluded, as he awaits the start of a 27-year prison sentence.
This lack of strong public support from Trump suggests a political distancing from the embattled South American leader. Political observers are highly skeptical of the former president’s hallucinatory claims, noting the convenient contradiction with his earlier excuse of acting “out of curiosity.”