Jair Bolsonaro Backs Off Attacks On Brazil's Institutions

President Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday backed off his heated attacks on Brazil's federal institutions, insisting that his recent jabs at the Supreme Court just came "in the heat of the moment." "My words, sometimes forceful, were spoken in the heat of the moment," the far-right president said in a written statement after talking tough Tuesday to supporters at an Independence Day rally in Sao Paulo. Bolsonaro -- who has been squaring off publicly with the high court for weeks since it opened investigations against him and those around him -- took a menacing tone at the rally. "We do not want to fight with any power. But (...) we cannot allow a person to put our freedom at risk," said Bolsonaro, a clear reference to judge Alexandre de Moraes, who is handling his case.