The Trump administration continues to be confounded by the concept that different international locations have legal guidelines and values of their very own, however Brazil’s highest courtroom is right here to remind everybody that it, not Donald Trump, is the legislation of the land in terms of Brazil. Man, he’s gonna be livid.
On Monday, Brazil’s Supreme Court docket dominated that overseas laws doesn’t apply within the nation. Whereas that will look like a little bit of a “well, duh” type of assertion, the attain of a rustic’s legal guidelines outdoors its personal borders is all the time a weedy, messy authorized situation. However all you’ll want to find out about this explicit ruling is that it invalidated the Magnitsky Act, a United States legislation permitting the president to impose sanctions, together with denying entry to the nation, on foreigners participating in human rights abuses or corruption. Brazil’s highest courtroom didn’t immediately say this was in regards to the Magnitsky Act, however everybody is aware of that’s what this case is about, as a result of the Magnitsky Act is what Trump used to impose sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court docket Justice Alexandre de Moraes in late July.
Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro, quickly allowed out of home arrest for medical exams, leaves a hospital in Brasília, Brazil, on Aug. 16.
What, pray inform, are the human rights abuses and corruption that Moraes engaged in? Per the administration, Moraes was authorizing “arbitrary pre-trial detentions” and suppressing freedom of expression. Sounds critical! How dare Moraes … checks notes … oversee a trial of a former president who tried to guide an rebel in an effort to overturn an election?
Oh … acquired it.
Sure, Trump okayed the sanctions as a result of Moraes is the decide overseeing the trial of Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, who’s being criminally prosecuted for his actions in making an attempt to violently seize energy after he misplaced the 2022 election. No marvel Trump seems like Bolsonaro is a kindred spirit who should be protected in any respect prices. What sort of world can we stay in when a rustic can prosecute a former chief for pushing a violent rebel to overthrow the duly elected president? That’s some banana republic stuff proper there. Everybody is aware of that civilized international locations simply give these former leaders huge immunity after which allow them to take over the federal government once more and switch it right into a machine of vengeance and destruction.
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The Trump administration isn’t simply mad about Bolsonaro. Moraes has additionally confirmed fully resistant to the attract and threats of Massive Tech, having at one level banned each X and Rumble in Brazil after they did not observe native legal guidelines and adjust to courtroom orders.
However the place Trump may simply drop an present prosecution or pardon Bolsonaro if he was in the USA, the U.S. president doesn’t have that energy in Brazil. So, he has to attempt to assault the decide who’s dealing with the case. Trump’s a bit stymied there as nicely, although, because the Brazilian courtroom system is just not filled with Trump appointees keen to do his bidding. The one factor he can actually do to Moraes personally is attempt to sanction him.
In fact, Trump has a bit extra leverage in terms of Brazil as an entire, which is why he’s slapped monumental tariffs on all the nation to attempt to spring Bolsonaro, however to date it isn’t working.
After the Brazil Supreme Court docket’s ruling, the Trump administration needed to do some large chest-thumping to save lots of face:
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Alexandre de Moraes is poisonous to all respectable companies and people searching for entry to the US and its markets. No overseas courtroom can invalidate United States sanctions—or spare anybody from the steep penalties of violating them.
U.S. individuals are prohibited from transacting…
— Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (@WHAAsstSecty) August 18, 2025
Calling Moraes “toxic to all legitimate businesses and individuals seeking access to the U.S. and its markets” actually provides the sport away right here, as a result of what that’s saying is that if Moraes doesn’t yield to Trump, strange Brazilians can be harmed economically. That’s not about defending anybody from corruption or human rights abuses. That’s about being keen to make an entire nation endure so Trump can spring his pal. Irrespective of how a lot Trump may suppose in any other case, prosecuting a politician for making an attempt a violent coup is just not a human rights abuse.
Distinction how laborious the administration is coming down on Moraes, who can not journey to the USA and had any U.S.-based property frozen, with Trump’s tender, loving crimson carpet welcome for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. In contrast to Moraes, Putin has overseen large human rights abuses, corruption, and suppression of freedom of expression—however he’s Trump’s pal, so we will simply overlook all that.
In the meantime, the Trump administration will maintain attempting to make use of no matter leverage it may to get its method, far outdoors of our borders.
