President Donald Trump called Brazil’s recent presidential election “a great embarrassment” after incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's win.
“I thought the election was a very great embarrassment to the people of Brazil,” President Trump told reporters. “When I watched what went down in Brazil… I thought it was a very disgraceful situation for Brazil.”
Brazil's Controversial Election
On Oct. 26, 2026, Brazil's electoral court announced President Lula’s win over Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro is an ally of President Trump’s and the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
According to the court, Lula secured 51.8% of the total vote, defeating Bolsonaro by roughly 4.4 million votes.
The election proved to be controversial, as Bolsonaro refused to concede, citing the court-ordered two-hour voting extension as grounds to invalidate the results.
The extension marked the first time since the introduction of electronic voting machines that polling sites stayed open beyond their scheduled hours.
Bolsonaro Flees Brazil; Lands in Miami
After Bolsonaro’s loss, the Brazilian Supreme Court ordered the senator to give up his passports and barred him from leaving the country.
The Brazilian high court’s ruling stems from ongoing federal investigations into Bolsonaro.
The senator is accused of corruption, money laundering schemes including an online betting platform and a separate film, tax evasion, illegal foreign financing of his presidential campaign, and criminal defamation against Lula.
However, Bolsonaro defied the court’s order, fled the country, and landed in Miami on Oct. 28, 2026.
U.S. Defends Bolsonaro
President Trump and the State Department approved of Bolsonaro’s arrival.
Before Bolsonaro’s arrival, the State Department affirmed it would issue visas to him and his family to enter the U.S.
“Well, I would approve. I think they’re fine people. The election was very strange, and I thought it was terrible. It’s gotten bad reviews. You look at what happened to their market”, President Trump said.
