US President Donald Trump has questioned the legitimacy of Brazil’s presidential election, describing the result as resembling another rigged election, even after the defeated candidate’s party formally acknowledged the outcome.
Trump made the remarks on Monday, October 26, following the victory of incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva over right-wing candidate Flávio Bolsonaro in Sunday’s runoff election.
According to Reuters, Trump said the election, including the vote-counting process, appeared problematic. He also criticised the decision to extend voting hours by two hours, calling the move unusual. However, he provided no evidence to support his allegations of electoral fraud.
Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, initially refused to accept defeat and said he would seek to overturn the result following the Supreme Court’s decision to extend voting hours in certain locations.
His Liberal Party later acknowledged the election outcome in a statement signed by party leader Valdemar Costa Neto. The party said it recognised the presidential election result while maintaining that the issues raised during the process should be properly clarified.
Flávio had previously indicated that he would comply with a Federal Police directive to surrender his passport after visiting his father, who is under house arrest. He also denied having plans to leave Brazil.
Lula defeated Bolsonaro by more than four million votes, making it difficult for the opposition to overturn the result.
An analysis of election records by Pedro Burgos, a professor at Insper, found that fewer than 35,000 votes were cast during the additional two hours permitted by the Supreme Court. That figure represented approximately 0.03 percent of the total vote.
The dispute has drawn international attention, with Trump’s comments adding to the debate over the election despite the opposition party’s formal recognition of the result.
Reporting by Borderless for The Borderless Journal. Filed under Uncategorized · 27 Oct 2026, 16:00.
