By Ludmila Cassio
A video circulating on X, the social network, claims that thousands of Brazilians are sending messages to U.S. President Donald Trump after Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, arrived in the United States. The claim comes from the profile @ThayzzySmith, which says most of the messages are appeals for help for Brazil. Visão da Direita noted that none of the outlets it consulted has confirmed the information.
What the viral post says
According to the post, Brazilian commentator Paulo Figueiredo said the movement has a real effect. The post quotes him as saying: "You have no idea of the effect this has. KEEP GOING. It is being widely noticed inside the White House."
The number of messages, their content and the alleged perception inside the U.S. government are claims made by the profile and by Figueiredo. No report reviewed backs them up.
What the press has reported on Flávio in the U.S.
The background, by contrast, does appear in news reports.
- According to the Brazilian outlet O Povo, The New York Times reported, citing U.S. officials, that Trump and his aides helped Flávio Bolsonaro leave Brazil and reach the United States.
- According to MSN, Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that the U.S. helped the senator leave. He spoke at the closing news conference of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta.
- The issue also reached the U.S. Congress. O Povo reports that Democrats are demanding explanations from Rubio about Flávio's entry into the country. Valor, a Brazilian business daily, says 25 Democratic House members sent a letter to the secretary.
- The progressive caucus, led by Greg Casar, Ilhan Omar and Jesús "Chuy" Garcia, is pressing Trump to recognize Lula's victory. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is Brazil's president and a leader of the Workers' Party (PT).
The g1 news portal shows that the debate has also spread to Brazilian social media. According to its report, some Brazilians are asking Democratic politicians to deport the senator if the party defeats Trump in Congress. In other words, digital mobilization runs in both directions, and the viral post portrays the side of Flávio's supporters.
Why it matters: a battle of narratives in Washington
The episode shows that Flávio's trip to the U.S. has also become a battle of narratives in Washington. On one side, Democratic lawmakers are trying to turn the case into ammunition against Trump. On the other, the senator's supporters are trying to show there is a Brazilian popular base determined to make its voice heard.
What comes next depends on facts that have not yet been confirmed. It remains to be seen whether the White House will comment on the alleged volume of messages and how Rubio will respond to the Democrats' demands. The result of the U.S. midterm elections could also change the political weight of the issue.
VDD Analysis
Popular mobilization is legitimate in a democracy, and thousands of Brazilians who feel voiceless in their own country have the right to speak out wherever they think they will be heard. But a social media campaign is no substitute for official confirmation: until the White House speaks, the real effect of this movement remains a promise. Those who defend the conservative cause gain more from checked facts than from the enthusiasm of a viral video.
This report is based on a post by the @ThayzzySmith profile on X. As of publication, Visão da Direita had found no confirmation of the claim in other outlets; the content reflects what the profile asserts.
