Comparisons · Change of position
Moro: 'would never run against' Bolsonaro (2019) × resignation (2020) × presidential pre-candidacy (2021–22) × runoff support (2022)
The author came to defend or do what they had previously rejected.
What was said
“Agora, certamente, jamais concorreria contra o presidente Jair Bolsonaro, se ele for realmente candidato à reeleição.”
Sergio Moro, October 16, 2019 · Interview · Poder em Foco (SBT/Poder360), interview with Fernando Rodrigues · context and source
What happened afterward
- April 24, 2020. Six months later, Moro resigned and accused Bolsonaro of insisting on replacing the Federal Police (PF) leadership in order to obtain information.
“Infelizmente não tem como persistir com o compromisso que assumi, sem que eu tenha condições de trabalho, sem que ele tenha condições de preservar a autonomia da Polícia Federal para realizar seus trabalhos, ou sendo forçado a sinalizar uma concordância, como a interferência política na Polícia Federal cujo os resultados são imprevisíveis.” source
source - November 10, 2021. Moro joined Podemos and presented himself as a pre-candidate for President of the Republic in 2022, a race in which Bolsonaro was the incumbent president. source
- March 31, 2022. Moro announced that he was giving up, at that moment, the presidential pre-candidacy and was joining União Brasil. source
- October 4, 2022. Moro declared a vote for Bolsonaro in the 2022 runoff.
“Lula não é uma opção eleitoral, com seu governo marcado pela corrupção da democracia. Contra o projeto de poder do PT, declaro, no segundo turno, o apoio para Bolsonaro.” source
source
How they explained it
The phrase was said in an interview recorded on October 16, 2019 (published on 10/21) and is conditional: Moro would never run against Bolsonaro "if he is really a candidate for reelection," as a member of the government. In 2020 he broke with him; in 2021–22 he was a presidential pre-candidate (joined Podemos on November 10, 2021; withdrew the pre-candidacy on March 31, 2022); in 2022 he voted for Bolsonaro against Lula. We did not find a statement by Moro explicitly connecting these positions; the condition that Bolsonaro be a candidate and that Moro be in the government must be read together with it.
Sources of the events
On April 24, 2020, Moro announced that he was leaving the Ministry of Justice, accusing Bolsonaro of insisting on changing the PF leadership and of wanting a person in personal contact in order to obtain information and intelligence reports, and said he had not signed the decree dismissing Valeixo.
Source: Leia a íntegra e assista ao discurso de demissão de Sergio Moro — Poder360, Apr. 24, 2020 · full speech (37 min 58 s) · open original ↗
News report · full text examined · accessed on Oct. 24, 2026
Limitations: Accusation attributed to Moro; the PF, in 2022 and 2026, reported that it found no interference (see fonte and fonte).
Moro joined Podemos on November 10, 2021, in Brasília, at an event that marked the start of a presidential pre-candidacy in 2022.
Source: Podemos confirma filiação de Moro em 10 de novembro — Poder360, Nov. 1, 2021 · paragraphs 1 and 2 · open original ↗
News report · full text examined · accessed on Oct. 24, 2026
Limitations: The news item is from November 1, 2021 (announcement of the event); the formalization on November 10 was confirmed by Agência Brasil on March 31, 2022 (fonte).
On March 31, 2022, Moro announced that he was giving up his presidential pre-candidacy to join União Brasil, at the invitation of Luciano Bivar, and the president of Podemos said she learned of his departure from the press.
Source: Sergio Moro desiste de candidatura à Presidência (Agência Brasil) — O Imparcial (reproduction of Agência Brasil), Mar. 31, 2022 · paragraphs 1 and 2 · open original ↗
News report · full text examined · accessed on Oct. 24, 2026
Limitations: Supplemented by source:f04-poder360-podemos-saida-2022.
On October 4, 2022, two days after being elected senator, Moro announced on Twitter his support for Bolsonaro in the runoff against Lula. Poder360 reported that Moro and Bolsonaro had reconciled by phone, via Flávio Bolsonaro, the day before.
Excerpt: “declaro, no segundo turno, o apoio para Bolsonaro”
Source: Moro anuncia apoio a Bolsonaro no 2º turno — Poder360, Oct. 4, 2022 · paragraphs 1 to 4 · open original ↗
News report · full text examined · accessed on Oct. 24, 2026
Limitations: Tweet read by three outlets (Poder360, InfoMoney, Folha de Pernambuco); original profile not consulted. Reconciliation by phone: single source (Poder360 reporting).