President Trump’s media company filed a lawsuit against Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Wednesday, alleging that he had unlawfully censored right-wing voices on social media. The timing of the lawsuit added a layer of intrigue, as it came just hours after the Brazilian justice received an indictment that would require him to decide whether to order the arrest of Jair Bolsonaro, the former Brazilian president and Trump ally. Justice Moraes is currently overseeing several criminal investigations into Bolsonaro’s actions.
The Trump Media & Technology Group, which operates Truth Social and is majority-owned by Trump, initiated the lawsuit in U.S. federal court in Tampa, Florida. The company was joined in the lawsuit by Rumble, a video platform based in Florida that, like Truth Social, positions itself as a proponent of free speech.
The lawsuit represents a remarkable attempt by Trump to exert pressure on a foreign judge while he deliberates over the fate of a fellow right-wing leader, Bolsonaro, who, like Trump, faces charges related to trying to overturn the results of his election loss.
