White House says U.S. may use “military might” to defend free speech

“Freedom of speech is arguably the most important issue of our time. It is enshrined in our Constitution and the president believes in it strongly… we have taken significant action with regards to Brazil in the form of both sanctions, and also leveraging the use of tariffs,” Ms. Leavitt said.

“This is a priority for the administration, and the president is unafraid to use the economic might, the military might of the United States of America, to protect free speech around the world,” Ms. Leavitt added.

She said there are currently “no additional actions” being taken by the U.S. government against Brazil. Ms. Leavitt noted the tariffs and sanctions already imposed by Washington were intended to safeguard American interests abroad.

Foreign ministry responds

Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning what it called “threats” of using force and said the country would not be intimidated.

“The Brazilian government condemns the use of economic sanctions or threats of force against our democracy. The first step in protecting freedom of expression is precisely to defend democracy and respect the will of the people expressed at the ballot box. That is the duty of all three branches of the Republic, which will not be intimidated by any form of attack on our sovereignty. The Brazilian government rejects the attempt by anti-democratic forces to instrumentalize foreign governments to pressure national institutions,” the statement said.

Earlier in the day, Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffmann had already responded to the White House spokesperson via social media. She called the remarks a threat of “invasion” of Brazil, calling the situation “unacceptable.” She also blamed the Bolsonaro family for the escalating tension between the two countries.

“The Bolsonaro family’s conspiracy against Brazil reached its peak today with the statement from Donald Trump’s spokesperson that the U.S. may even use military force against our country. It’s not enough that there are tariffs against our exports and illegal sanctions against government ministers, the Supreme Court and their families, now they’re threatening to invade Brazil to keep Jair Bolsonaro out of jail. This is completely unacceptable,” she wrote.