A defeated Brazilian presidential candidate is now living in the United States, and the US president says he is welcome to stay. Donald Trump said he has no plans to meet Flávio Bolsonaro, a conservative senator, but that Flávio can remain as long as he wants.
The remarks, made on Saturday 31 October 2026, follow a visa approval already granted by the Trump administration. They matter to US readers because they touch visa policy and relations with Brazil’s government.
- Trump has no plans to meet Flávio Bolsonaro but says he is welcome to stay in the US.
- Flávio lost the 25 October runoff to Brazil’s President Lula (Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva), 51.79% to 48.21%.
- He landed in Miami on 28 October with his family after leaving Brazil by land to Argentina.
- Prediction markets: Polymarket, a crypto-based market, gives 22.5% to a Trump-Flávio meeting in 2026 (as of 10:08 p.m. ET, 31 October 2026).
- As of 1 November 2026, 02:00 GMT
What We Know
Trump said at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida club, on Saturday 31 October that he has no plans to meet Flávio. He added that Flávio can stay in the US as long as he wants.
Flávio is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. He lost the 25 October 2026 runoff to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who won 51.79% of the vote to Flávio’s 48.21%.
Brazil’s electoral court has declared Lula the winner. Trump has called the election “very strange”, “terrible” and a disgrace, and alleged, without evidence, that it was “rigged”.
Brazil’s Supreme Court had ordered Flávio to hand in his passports by noon on Tuesday 27 October. He left Brazil late that day by land to Argentina and boarded a private charter.
The plane stopped in Guayaquil, Ecuador, then landed at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport around 9:30 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday 28 October. His family travelled with him, and the Trump administration approved US visas for them that week.
Trump called the family “fine people”. He has not said whether he will receive Flávio in person.
The Case Waiting at Home
In Brazil, Flávio is under investigation in a Federal Police probe into alleged corruption, money laundering and tax evasion. The case concerns a sports-betting company and money he allegedly accepted from Daniel Vorcaro, a disgraced banker whose Banco Master failed.
Flávio denies wrongdoing. An investigation is not a conviction, and we report his denial alongside the allegations.
Flávio and Trump met in the Oval Office of the White House on 26 May 2026, during Flávio’s campaign. Trump praised him afterwards as a smart young man who loves Brazil.
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| Instrument | Last | Change | YoY | Prev. | High | Low | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBOV | 167,921.80 | -0.75% | +19.56% | 169,186.42 | 178,526 | 175,157 | — |
| USD/BRL | 5.34 | -1.32% | -0.84% | 5.42 | 5.42 | 5.30 | — |
| SELIC | 13.75% | — | — | — | — | — | |
| PETR4 | 53.31 | -1.06% | +77.70% | 53.88 | 53.70 | 52.83 | 43,239,500 |
| VALE3 | 62.88 | -2.33% | +1.98% | 64.38 | 64.43 | 62.80 | 24,652,300 |
| ITUB4 | 41.42 | -0.67% | +11.30% | 41.70 | 42.60 | 41.15 | 28,160,700 |
| BBDC4 | 15.69 | -1.63% | -13.88% | 15.95 | 16.30 | 15.67 | 65,766,400 |
| BBAS3 | 17.59 | +0.69% | -15.59% | 17.47 | 18.31 | 17.51 | 67,844,600 |
| B3SA3 | 15.27 | +1.33% | +21.71% | 15.07 | 15.78 | 15.20 | 75,282,000 |
| ABEV3 | 15.40 | +0.20% | +26.75% | 15.37 | 15.68 | 15.31 | 27,307,400 |
| WEGE3 | 45.78 | +2.81% | +10.06% | 44.53 | 47.08 | 45.06 | 9,823,200 |
| PRIO3 | 69.21 | -2.71% | +87.14% | 71.14 | 70.98 | 69.15 | 6,663,200 |
| SUZB3 | 47.14 | -0.55% | -3.79% | 47.40 | 47.84 | 46.10 | 7,151,800 |
| RENT3 | 31.14 | -1.67% | -20.73% | 31.67 | 32.68 | 31.02 | 19,092,400 |
| AZZA3 | 16.72 | +1.15% | -42.24% | 16.53 | 17.42 | 16.72 | 4,875,400 |
| CSNA3 | 4.76 | -4.99% | -47.09% | 5.01 | 5.14 | 4.76 | 14,327,900 |
| GGBR4 | 24.87 | -2.28% | +36.28% | 25.45 | 26.20 | 24.79 | 7,507,900 |
| ENEV3 | 26.79 | +0.45% | +49.78% | 26.67 | 27.35 | 26.30 | 12,263,000 |
What Prediction Markets Say
Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction market, lists a market titled “Will Trump meet with Flávio Bolsonaro in 2026?” It priced a meeting at 22.5% as of 10:08 p.m. ET on 31 October 2026, with about US$77,000 traded.
That price is the market’s implied probability of a meeting, so traders rate it as unlikely but possible. It is a bet, not a poll.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What Is Not Known
It is not known how long Flávio plans to stay or where he lives in the United States. Nor is it clear whether Trump will receive him.
It is also unknown whether Brazil will seek his return or extradition. We will update this report when any of those points is confirmed.
What It Means for US Readers
The case shows how a visa decision can carry political weight between two governments. Washington approved visas for Flávio and his family that week, while Trump questions an election whose result Brazil’s electoral court has declared.
Watch for any move by Brazil’s Supreme Court on his passports or the investigation, and for any sign that Trump will receive him. Our earlier reports, Trump Courts Brazil’s Winner and Loser and On the Run, Flávio Bolsonaro Lands in Miami, give more background.
More coverage is on our Brazil hub. For now the facts are modest: an open door in Washington and no scheduled meeting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Trump meet Flávio Bolsonaro?
Trump said he has no plans to meet him. Polymarket, a prediction market, priced a meeting in 2026 at 22.5% as of 10:08 p.m. ET on 31 October 2026.
Can Flávio Bolsonaro stay in the US?
Trump said he can stay as long as he wants. The Trump administration approved US visas for him and his family during the week after the 25 October runoff.
How did Flávio Bolsonaro reach Miami?
He left Brazil late on 27 October by land to Argentina, boarded a private charter, stopped in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and landed at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport around 9:30 a.m. Eastern on 28 October.
Is Flávio Bolsonaro under investigation?
Yes, in a Federal Police probe into alleged corruption, money laundering and tax evasion, tied to a sports-betting company and to money allegedly accepted from banker Daniel Vorcaro. He denies wrongdoing, and an investigation is not a conviction.
Sources: Brazil’s Supreme Court (stf.jus.br); Brazil’s electoral court, the TSE, results page (tse.jus.br); Polymarket event page https://polymarket.com/event/will-trump-meet-with-flavio-bolsonaro-in-2026 ; Rio Times reporting.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
Brazil runoff, Sunday, October 25: Brazil runoff start time and results schedule. Latest: Brazil runoff polls, Flávio 51%, Lula 49%.