USAupdated 16m ago2 min read
Archive photo · 2 March 2024Donald Trump Denounces Brazil Runoff As Rigged After Lula Defeats Flavio Bolsonaro
“Trump administration, which has close relations with the Bolsonaro family, could help defuse this threat by joining other governments in recognizing the election outcome.”
“Trump has yet to weigh in.”
Photo: United States Department of State / US federal government, Public domain · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Lula won a fourth term in Brazil's runoff with about 51.8% of votes. Bolsonaro contests the result and seeks annulment, refusing to concede victory.
Trump calls vote rigged
Donald Trump denounced Brazil’s presidential runoff as “rigged” after Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defeated Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro on Sunday, October 25.
Trump said, “Honestly, it looked like another rigged election,” before leaving Washington for a campaign rally nearing the U.S. midterm elections.
Trump also said, “I did not choose a side. I did not endorse anyone. But I watched the election. It was so corrupt, so pathetic,” as Lula’s victory put him on track to take office on Jan. 5, 2027.
ABC News reported that Lula convinced an extra 10.4 million voters to support him in the runoff, and it said Lula was expected to take office on Jan. 5, 2027, for his fourth non-consecutive term.
ABC News added that Bolsonaro promised to request an annulment after a chaotic extension of voting at the request of both candidates, setting up a potential showdown between the two political forces.
Bolsonaro seeks annulment
Flavio Bolsonaro refused to accept the result and said he would seek to annul the vote after Brazil’s Supreme Court extended voting by two hours.
AFP reported that Bolsonaro described the extension as “unacceptable” and a “dirty trick,” and it quoted him saying, “It is impossible to recognize the results. I am going to request the annulment of these elections,” in a speech in Brasilia.
BBC News Brasil said Bolsonaro argued that Cristiano Zanin, a Supreme Court judge appointed by Lula, changed the “rules of the game” by keeping polling places open until 7:00 p.m.
BBC News Brasil also reported that Valdemar Costa Neto released a statement recognizing Lula’s victory and said, “The questions raised must be clarified within the framework of a balanced and democratic political debate,” after Zanin’s decision.
BBC News Brasil said analyst Fernando Neisser argued that “from a legal standpoint, it is unlikely to prosper,” given the margin of more than 4 million votes.
U.S. pressure and stakes
The U.S. political stakes in Brazil’s runoff centered on Trump’s relationship with the Bolsonaro family, with Common Dreams saying the Trump administration has “close relations with the Bolsonaro family.” Common Dreams quoted CEPR’s director of international policy Alex Main saying, “governments—including the Trump administration—should immediately recognize the outcome, to prevent a possible coup or further violence.” Common Dreams also quoted Alex Main warning that “It’s likely that Flávio Bolsonaro will, like his father in late 2022, encourage his supporters to mobilize,” which it said could trigger “a new wave of political violence.”
CNN reported that Bolsonaro said he could not recognize the election results because the two-hour extension “changed the rules of the game during the match,” and it said he announced he would seek to annul the process. CNN said Lula’s victory set a record because no president since Brazil’s return to democracy in 1985 had overturned a first-round defeat, while it also warned that right-wing control in the legislature could hinder Lula’s ability to govern.