Trump Media Goes After Brazilian Judge Overseeing Investigation of Bolsonaro for Alleged Coup

President Donald Trump's media company has filed a lawsuit against a Brazilian Supreme Court judge, accusing him of violating U.S. free speech protections.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in a Tampa federal court, challenges Justice Alexandre de Moraes' order to shut down the accounts of a right-wing Brazilian commentator seeking asylum in the U.S., AP News reported.

The legal action comes hours after former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was charged in Brazil for allegedly plotting a coup to remain in power after his 2022 election loss. Prosecutors claim the scheme included plans to assassinate President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Supreme Court Justice Moraes.

Moraes has been a key figure in investigating Bolsonaro and his allies, expanding probes into corruption and alleged efforts to undermine Brazil's democracy.

"This is the same failed strategy that was used against President Trump," Bolsonaro said of the indictment, which he called a "weaponization of the justice system," and an effort to "silence millions of Brazilians."

Trump Media & Technology Group was joined in the lawsuit by video-sharing platform, Rumble, which alleges it faces daily fines and a potential shutdown in Brazil if it does not comply with Moraes' order. The plaintiffs argue that Brazil's judiciary has no authority to restrict speech in the U.S., where the First Amendment protects free expression.

"Justice Moraes cannot dictate the contours of lawful discourse within the United States," the complaint reads. "The United States has long upheld free speech as a cornerstone of its constitutional framework, enshrined in the First Amendment, and has consistently opposed censorship."

Critics, including some who oppose Bolsonaro, have questioned Moraes' aggressive legal tactics, such as his 2020 order to raid homes and freeze social media accounts of Bolsonaro supporters.