Trump says Brazil election looked 'rigged' without giving evidence
US President Donald Trump on Monday claimed Brazil's recent election looked 'rigged' without providing evidence, following leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's victory over right-wing candidate Flávio Bolsonaro.
Speaking to reporters, Trump described the vote as 'terrible' and 'like another rigged election,' though he claimed he 'didn't take sides.' He emphasized that elections must be indisputable, adding that 'it looked very bad to me.'
Bolsonaro's Response
Bolsonaro initially refused to recognize Lula's victory, stating it was 'impossible' to acknowledge the result and that the election should have been annulled. In a social media post on Monday, he claimed he had been banned from leaving Brazil and served a notice to surrender his passports.
Trump's South America Stance
Trump welcomed Bolsonaro to the White House earlier this year, calling him 'a smart young man who loves his country, Brazil, very much.' The Trump administration has celebrated recent right-wing election victories across South America, with Trump claiming last week: 'In South America, it was all leaning big left. It's all right now.'
Trump boasted about his influence in the region, stating: 'I endorsed many of those people. Every single one that I endorsed won.'
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