Trump calls Lula's election win in Brazil 'rigged' after his ally refused to concede

Donald Trump said without evidence that Brazil's presidential runoff was "rigged," casting doubt on a result that Brazilian institutions and regional leaders, including conservatives opposed to the winner, appear ready to accept. Speaking to reporters on Monday before a trip to Mississippi, he said the way votes were tabulated looked bad to him, according to The Independent.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won with more than 64 million votes to just under 60 million for Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, a margin of nearly 4%. Lula, who turns 81 soon, is slated to be sworn in on Jan. 5, 2027. Bolsonaro, whose father Jair Bolsonaro is serving 27 years for a coup attempt, said he would seek to annul the vote after voting hours were stretched nationwide at both campaigns' request. It is unclear what legal route he has. Electoral authority president Kassio Nunes, a Jair Bolsonaro appointee to the Supreme Court, acknowledged Lula's win.

Analysts credit a surge in turnout, with about three-quarters of the 14.1 million additional runoff voters choosing Lula, and an aggressive social media push led by lawmaker André Janones. It was the first comeback from a first-round deficit since 1989.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →