Flávio Bolsonaro Heads to U.S. on Third Overseas Trip Since Launching Bid

Overview

• The senator departed for the United States on February 19 with no public schedule, marking his third international agenda since entering the 2026 presidential race.
• Recent travel included Israel, Bahrain, the UAE, and France, where he attended a conference, met European right-wing figures, and criticized the Lula government and Brazil’s judiciary in interviews.
• Party leaders say the frequency of trips is delaying decisions on state slates and regional mediations that still rely on his and Jair Bolsonaro’s interlocution, with Senator Carlos Portinho awaiting his return to advance a Rio bid.
• In parallel, he has softened his domestic tone after internal research, endorsing messages to LGBT voters, praising carnival, and defending Vinicius Júnior’s anti-racism stance to expand appeal beyond the ideological right.
• Allies frame the rhetorical shift as spontaneous rather than scripted, and his camp signals renewed attention to building state-level support upon his return, including a planned February 27 meeting with São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas.