U.S. President Donald Trump pitched his 50% tariffs against Brazil as a way to support former President Jair Bolsonaro, but three people close to the right-wing ex-president said they were stunned by the move and fear it may do more harm than good.
Announcing the higher tariffs in a letter last week, Trump cast them as a pressure tactic to help Bolsonaro, who is on trial before the Brazilian Supreme Court for allegedly plotting a coup to overturn his loss in the 2022 presidential election.
Bolsonaro has described the accusations as baseless and insisted he will run for president in 2026, despite a court decision that bars him from the race. In his tariff letter, Trump said his ally Bolsonaro is the victim of a "witch hunt."
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