The Brazilian election results had barely been announced before the defeated presidential candidate, Flavio Bolsonaro, packed his bags and fled with his family to the United States. The move may have dealt a serious blow to the already tarnished family brand, but does it spell the end for “Bolsonarism”?
Page A225From§Eachthe evening edition — 29 October 2026
Bolsonaro loses Brazil's election, flees to US with Trump's help, declares himself its leader.
As it ran on the front
Today we are making a president who is not a president, which is not a dish you can get over here. Flávio Bolsonaro lost Brazil's run-off, left for the United States with his family, and called himself leader of Brazil.
You will need one senator, Flávio Bolsonaro, defeated and facing multiple criminal investigations in Brazil; Trump and his aides, who saw to it that he could enter the United States; and a letter, posted briefly under his name, whose "president elect" phrasing an ally later blamed on ChatGPT.…
Clive An ally explaining his words for him. I have never needed an ally for mine — the verse stands on its own, which is more than this letter can say.
Gary Stands on its own. Like the shed door, until I took it off for standing on its own all wrong.
A tip, since we are at the stove: a phrase borrowed from a machine rarely survives a second reading.
On 5 October other Bolsonaros were already taking seats down the ballot as the far right surged; France 24 asked whether Brazilians subscribe to the family's "God, Homeland, Family" mantra and left it open. On 26 October Lula took Sunday's run-off, a "historic victory," Common Dreams called it, over the son of a convicted coup-plotter.
Rob A historic victory. That's what the landlord called it when he put the rent up in line with history, and we're still finding the history in the boiler.
Keith History in a boiler is a story. I could have that in a box by Thursday, the right label, and the only one asking questions is me.
On 29 October the New York Times reported that Trump and his aides saw to it that Flávio Bolsonaro could enter the United States.
Gary Back door unlocked. Ours has been off since March, which is less foreign policy and more me, and that took considerably more nerve.
He kept moving: Flávio Bolsonaro calls himself "leader of Brazil," the BBC has him leading the opposition from the United States. You will be looking for the conviction behind that claim. The Times has him only under multiple criminal investigations, not a conviction.
The paper on the table here is France 24: "Flávio Bolsonaro's great escape," it asks if this is "the beginning of the end for 'Bolsonarism.'" The New York Times, at home, simply has Trump and his aides who "Helped Bolsonaro Flee Brazil and Enter U.S." — no escape in it, only the help.
It serves one senator with no office and an opposition he has declared from a country that is not his; Brazil is left with the investigations still open, and the United States is left holding the door.
Rob Investigations still open. That's the stove as well, mate — ours has been going unwatched since March, and at least Brazil knows who struck the match.
“A guy loses an election, our own government helps him skip the country, and the first words out of his mouth are that he's still in charge. That's not asylum, that's a government in exile with American seed money behind it. Watch who gets to lose an election and keep the title anyway.”
“This is just the United States standing by an ally in a tough spot, nothing more sinister than that. The "leader of Brazil" language, that was his call, not ours — though if a chatbot really wrote it, maybe take it up with the chatbot. Did I just defend a chatbot's judgment on who runs Brazil? Strike that.”
Earlier in this story
- Sullivan tells Alaskans to mark Decoy Dan, the candidate at the center of Thursday's grand jury subpoenas. By Sterling · the evening edition, 29 October 2026
- Governor opens criminal probe into the one Alaska candidate whose win a federal suit seeks to void By Sterling · the morning edition, 29 October 2026
- Peltola's campaign was 'definitely aware' of its decoy scheme; DOJ needs an anonymous analyst to prove it worked. By Lou · the evening edition, 28 October 2026
- Justice Department prepares to nullify Alaska's Senate race only if Republicans lose; Democrats spent months engineering that outcome. By Lou · the afternoon edition, 28 October 2026
- DOJ sues to void an election only the Republican could lose, nine days before Alaska votes By Lou · the evening edition, 26 October 2026
- Attorney general calls three hosts misleading, crazy, and not a real question; the one from Trump remains unanswered. By Lou · the evening edition, 25 October 2026
The receipts
The defeated presidential candidate says he will lead the opposition from the US.
A close ally of Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro said that the AI chatbot ChatGPT was responsible for language in a letter briefly posted on social media by the right-wing politician.
President Trump ensured Flávio Bolsonaro, who lost a presidential election in Brazil and faces multiple criminal investigations there, could enter the United States, U.S. officials said.
· Brazil's Lula Wins 'Historic Victory' Against Right-Wing Trump Ally Flávio Bolsonaro from the morgue, 26 Oct 2026
· Return of the Bolsonaros: Why the far-right surge in Brazilian elections? from the morgue, 5 Oct 2026
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front. The byline is a pen name for a column drafted by a machine and checked by the editor: how this is made.