SAO PAULO, June 4 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian government has stepped in to defend Supreme Federal Court (STF) judge Alexandre de Moraes against a U.S. lawsuit filed by streaming platform Rumble and Trump Media, a company linked to U.S. President Donald Trump, local media said Thursday.

The government views the case as a matter of national sovereignty, reports said. In a letter to the court, Attorney General Flavio Jose Roman offered the government's legal resources to fight the lawsuit, which was filed in Florida in February 2025.

STF Chief Justice Edson Fachin called the move "timely and necessary."

"What is at stake, beyond the individual figure of a Supreme Court justice, is the independence of the Brazilian judiciary, the integrity of the rule of law, and ultimately national sovereignty itself."

Moraes, accused of illegally censoring legitimate political discourse in the United States, ordered the suspension of Rumble in February 2025 for failing to comply with court orders. Moraes said Rumble ignored his decision to block the account of far-right blogger Allan dos Santos, a supporter of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

Moraes led investigations into attacks on Brazil's democratic institutions and presided over the trial that convicted Bolsonaro of 27 years and three months in prison.

Last year, the Trump administration imposed trade and financial sanctions on Brazil and several Brazilian officials, citing opposition to the STF's prosecution of Bolsonaro. ■