Welch, Shaheen, Kaine Urge Trump Admin to Stop Meddling in Brazil’s Elections, Recognize Certified Outcome and Support Brazil’s Democracy

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), along with U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), today sent a letter raising concerns that the Trump Administration is using diplomatic, economic, and political pressure to deliberately weaken Brazil’s democratic institutions ahead of its October 4, 2026, presidential election. 

In their letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Senators outline how the Trump

Administration’s actions undermine confidence in Brazil’s electoral process ahead of its upcoming election and inflict further damage on the United States’ relationship with a strategic ally and trading partner. The Senators also highlight how the Administration’s actions reflect a broader and deeply troubling pattern of interference in recent electoral processes across Latin America, as seen during Argentina’s midterm elections and the presidential elections in Honduras and Colombia. 

The Senators detail how, over the course of President Trump’s second term, U.S. officials have engaged in a campaign of interference and destabilization in Brazil. They write: “This effort first escalated sharply during the summer of 2025, with the administration deploying tariffs and targeted sanctions to attempt to shape the Brazilian Supreme Court’s verdict in the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro on charges of attempting to foment a military coup to stay in power. Despite some subsequent measures of de-escalation in the months that followed, including direct and cordial talks between Presidents Trump and Lula, the campaign directed at Brazil’s authorities resumed with the appointment of Darren Beattie as a senior advisor on Brazil issues in the State Department. Beattie, a noted far-right extremist and white supremacist, came into this post with a record of public statements signaling an overt ideological commitment to undermining Brazil’s democratic institutions and advancing the interests of the Brazilian far-right.”  

The Senators continue: “More recently, the administration again targeted Brazilian imports with steep tariffs following a Section 301 investigation by the U.S. Trade Representative. The investigation was reportedly initiated at President Trump’s direction at the same moment that he publicly criticized Brazilian court actions against former President Bolsonaro and U.S. social media companies. The administration’s most recent actions point toward an effort to interfere with, and potentially undermine, Brazil’s general election in October. Senator and presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro’s recent Oval Office meeting with President Trump, undertaken while attempting to mitigate a domestic political scandal, underscored the administration’s willingness to insert itself in the election.” 

The Senators underscore how the Trump Administration’s actions this election cycle contrast with the United States’ approach during Brazil’s previous presidential election could not be clearer: “Immediately following the announcement of the election results in 2022, the United States moved swiftly—in coordination with allies and partners—to recognize President Lula’s victory, helping to deny legitimacy to efforts to contest or reverse the outcome. Following the January 8, 2023, attacks on Brazil’s democratic institutions, the United States stood firmly with Brazil’s newly elected government and played a key role in rallying support across the region for Brazil’s efforts to defend its hard-won 1988 constitution and the democratic institutions it established.” 

Given the administration’s actions, the Senators request answers to the following questions: 

• How does the Department coordinate its democracy and human rights objectives with regional partners in the Western Hemisphere, particularly regarding technical assistance or monitoring of electoral and judicial processes? 
• Will the administration commit to recognizing the certified outcome of Brazil’s 2026 democratic elections and to supporting normal diplomatic relations with whichever candidate is freely and fairly chosen by the Brazilian people? 

Read and download the Senators’ full letter to Secretary Rubio.