Trump calls Brazil election 'rigged' after Bolsonaro's defeat
Donald Trump denounced Brazil's presidential election as "rigged" on Monday, following the surprise reelection of leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva over conservative senator Flavio Bolsonaro. Trump, a close ally of Bolsonaro, called the result "deplorable" and compared it to a "rigged election" before departing for a campaign rally ahead of the US midterms. Lula won with 51.8% of the vote against 48.2%, a margin of 4.4 million votes. Bolsonaro, son of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, alleged fraud in the outcome. Trump had previously praised Bolsonaro's first-round performance and imposed tariffs and sanctions on Brazil since the 2025 trial of his ally, while Lula had urged the US president not to interfere.