Brazil Supreme Court rejects Trump pressure as Bolsonaro coup trial nears verdict

A person wears a flag with a picture of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, as supporters of the former president gather outside his condominium complex where he is under house arrest, waiting for the last instance of his trial accused of plotting a coup after his electoral defeat in Brasilia, Brazil August 31, 2025. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

BRASILIA (Reuters) -The final phase of the landmark Supreme Court trial of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro on charges of plotting a coup began on Tuesday as the lead judge cast the case as a defense of democracy in the face of attacks by U.S. President Donald Trump.

As he opened the court session, Justice Alexandre de Moraes, whom the Trump administration has imposed sanctions on over the trial, saida "criminal organization" had tried to coerce the high court to submit to "the scrutiny of a foreign state."