Trump Claims Lula’s Victory in Presidential Election Was ‘Rigged’

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has described the victory of leftist leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil’s presidential election as “rigged.” He did not, however, provide any evidence to support his claim. At the same time, the former U.S. president mentioned that he likes Lula.

Trump made these remarks while speaking to reporters last Monday at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. This was reported by the U.S. news outlet *Politico* on Tuesday (October 27).

“Honestly, it looked like another ‘rigged’ election,” Trump said. In his view, the events surrounding the election sent a very poor message to the rest of the world. He added that an election must be beyond any doubt.

When asked whether the United States might take any action regarding the Brazilian election, Trump did not provide a direct answer. “I’m not running Brazil; I’m running the United States,” he stated. He reiterated that he likes Lula, though he characterized the entire situation as a “bad picture.”

By winning Sunday’s election, Lula secured a fourth term as president of Brazil. This victory is seen as a significant blow to Trump and his political followers. Although Trump did not explicitly endorse any single candidate, he had previously shown support for the right-wing contender, Flávio Bolsonaro. Many within Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement also aligned themselves with Bolsonaro. Furthermore, Trump has publicly expressed support for Flávio’s father, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

Meanwhile, following his defeat, Flávio Bolsonaro has also alleged irregularities. He claims that on Sunday night, a Supreme Court justice—appointed by Lula—decided to extend the voting period by two hours. This decision was reportedly made because transportation issues had delayed voters from reaching their polling stations. Additionally, Trump has described the extension of voting hours as "very strange."

However, according to a Reuters report, fewer than 35,000 votes were cast during the extended period. Meanwhile, Lula won by a margin of nearly 4 million votes. Furthermore, Bolsonaro’s own party had also requested an extension of polling hours in several regions.

Flávio Bolsonaro, much like his father, has refused to accept the election results and has demanded that they be annulled. Jair Bolsonaro had taken a similar stance following his own election defeat four years ago.

According to researchers who monitor elections in Latin America, Brazil’s electoral system is one of the most secure in the region. Voting is mandatory in the country for individuals between the ages of 18 and 69. Both sides were able to justify the extension of voting hours, as some voters were unable to reach polling stations due to adverse weather conditions and transportation issues.