Donald Trump urged Brazilian voters on Sunday to re-elect President Jair Bolsonaro, as polls opened for the contentious runoff election in the world’s fourth-largest democracy.
Over 120 million Brazilians are anticipated to vote for either Bolsonaro, a right-wing populist, or former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a founding member of the Workers’ Party.
The candidates proceeded to the second round of voting after neither received 50 percent of the vote in their initial contest on October 2; nonetheless, da Silva finished four points ahead of Bolsonaro.
Trump, a fervent friend of Bolsonaro, posted early Sunday morning on his Truth Social app: “To the People of Brazil, this is your big day, and a big day for the world.”
The former US president said, “Your GREAT and Highly Respected President, Jair Bolsonaro, wants you to get out and Vote TODAY so that your Country can continue on its great path of achievement.”
“Do not allow the radical left lunatics and maniacs to ruin Brazil like they have so many other nations.
“President Bolsonaro has performed admirably, has my Full and Unqualified Support, and deserves your vote.” He will NEVER disappoint you!!!
Bolsonaro earned the moniker “Tropical Trump” during his rise to power in 2018 due to his abrasive and bombastic public stances, as well as his anti-establishment-fueled ascent to power.
Both included attacks on the media into their brand identities, advocated identical bogus treatments for COVID-19, and prioritized projecting a strongman image to the world.
On Sunday, Brazilian voters will choose between four more years of Bolsonaro’s far-right regime or a former two-term president whose administration was beset by corruption allegations.
Bolsonaro and da Silva are both contentious characters in Brazil.
Bolsonaro, who has promoted himself as a Christian nationalist, has presided over a spike of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, which environmentalists believe might have negative and permanent consequences for climate change.
Regarding his management of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Senate of his country accused him of “crimes against humanity.”
Similarly to Trump, he has openly espoused anti-LGBTQ attitudes and pushed electoral fraud conspiracy theories.
After the first round of elections earlier this month, Bolsonaro tweeted that he had a higher voter turnout in 2022 than in 2018, that he had ‘never lost an election,’ and that ‘God’ would not allow him to lose one now.
It is also unclear whether Bolsonaro would accept the election results if he lost.
The retired military officer uploaded a video of Trump urging Brazilians to vote on Saturday night.
Trump stated, “Other world leaders, including myself, hold him in the highest regard.” He is bringing it back like no one else could.
Trump said, echoing sentiments of global prominence and’respect’ he voiced to his own supporters: ‘Brazil is assuming an entirely new position in the world. The rest of the world respects you because of your president.’
The former US president advised, “Don’t lose him, don’t let that happen; it would not be good for your country, and I love your country, but it would not be good.”