Brazilian senator and presidential hopeful Flávio Bolsonaro traveled to Washington seeking a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump as his campaign faces mounting pressure following the release of audio recordings linking him to a finance scandal. Photo by André Borges/EPA
May 26 (UPI) -- Brazilian senator and presidential hopeful Flávio Bolsonaro traveled to Washington seeking a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump as his campaign faces mounting pressure following the release of audio recordings linking him to a banker now jailed on suspicion of leading a criminal organization involved in financial fraud.
The scandal has damaged Bolsonaro's credibility and weakened his standing in polls against Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Political analysts view the proposed meeting with Trump as an attempt to regain momentum ahead of Brazil's October presidential election.
According to multiple Brazilian media outlets, Bolsonaro arrived in the United States hoping to hold the meeting Tuesday. However, the official White House schedule released publicly did not include his name.
Because of the lack of official confirmation, Bolsonaro's allies have speculated that he could instead meet with U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
