Trump says Brazil's runoff looked like another rigged election
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States, speaking to reporters
Trump tells reporters that he did not take sides in Brazil's runoff but that it looked like another rigged election.
“I didn't take sides, but it looked like another rigged election”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Flávio Bolsonaro vows to seek annulment of Brazil's runoff over a two-hour voting extension; his party recognizes Lula's win
After losing Brazil's October 25, 2026, presidential runoff to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by about 4.4 million votes, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro said it was impossible to recognize the result and that his campaign would seek to annul the election. He objected to Supreme Federal Court Justice Cristiano Zanin's order extending voting by two hours, which Lula's coalition had requested. His Liberal Party recognized the result the next day. President Donald Trump said the vote looked rigged, and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin called that remark totally wrong.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Reuters report, as published by Australian Community Media, on the Liberal Party's statement recognizing the runoff result, President Donald Trump's remarks to reporters that the vote looked rigged, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin's reply and an Insper analysis of votes cast during the two-hour extension.
Before the quotation
The report says Flávio Bolsonaro refused to concede defeat and said he would seek the annulment of Lula's victory after the Supreme Court extended voting by two hours.
After the quotation
The report says Trump gave no evidence, and that fewer than 35,000 votes, about 0.03% of the total, were cast in the extra two hours, according to an analysis of electoral records by Insper professor Pedro Burgos.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case concerns Justice Zanin's two-hour voting extension and whether it taints the runoff result. Trump says the vote looked rigged and that its tabulation had a very bad look, which condemns the conduct of the runoff.
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More from this case
Read the full caseLiberal Party recognizes the presidential result and says the questions raised need clarifying
Partido Liberal (Brazil)
“We recognize the presidential result, proclaimed by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), but we understand that the questions raised need to be properly clarified within a balanced and democratic political debate. (Translated from Portuguese. Original: Reconhecemos o resultado presidencial, proclamado pelo Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (TSE), mas entendemos que os questionamentos levantados precisam ser devidamente esclarecidos dentro de um debate político equilibrado e democrático.)”Read statement
Alckmin calls Trump's remark about Brazil's election totally wrong
“Look, totally wrong, right? First, you do not interfere in another country's politics. That is a basic rule. Second, there is no basis for saying that. In fact, Brazil is an example to the world in electronic voting and legal certainty. That is how democracy is. You win an election, you lose an election, it is the people who decide. (Translated from Portuguese. Original: Olha, totalmente equivocada, né? Primeiro não se interfere na política de outro país. Essa é uma regra basilar. Segundo, não tem nenhum referencial para dizer isso. Aliás, o Brasil é um exemplo para o mundo de urna eletrônica, de segurança jurídica. Democracia é assim. Você ganha eleição, você perde a eleição, é o povo que decide)”Read statement
Flávio Bolsonaro says the runoff result cannot be recognized and that he will seek annulment
“It is impossible, it is impossible to recognize the result of the elections in the context in which these things happened. We are going to use our legal team, we are going to ask for the annulment of these elections. I will not accept that the rules of the game were changed in the middle of the game, once again, by Lula's friends on the Supreme Federal Court. (Translated from Portuguese. Original: é impossível, é impossível reconhecer o resultado das eleições no contexto como essas coisas aconteceram. Nós vamos usar o nosso jurídico, vamos pedir a anulação dessas eleições. Não vou aceitar que a regra do jogo tenha sido mudada em cima do jogo, mais uma vez, pelos amigos do Lula do Supremo Tribunal Federal)”Read statement
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- Trump says Brazil's runoff looked like another rigged election
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The Dispute Index. "Trump says Brazil's runoff looked like another rigged election". First published: 2026-10-31. Last updated: 2026-10-31. https://disputeindex.com/events/7433-trump-tells-reporters-that-he-did-not-take