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In a closely watched election, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated right-wing and Trump-aligned challenger Flávio Bolsonaro. Transport and weather disruptions in parts of Brazil led to a chaotic final stretch at the polls. Bolsonaro is refusing to concede, and President Trump called the outcome "rigged." Stephanie Sy reports.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva clinched victory out of thin air in Brazil’s weekend election, spurring his challenger to deny the results and the United States to demur from commenting on them. Lula won reelection in the results published overnight Monday, claiming 51.7% of the vote against Flavio Bolsonaro’s 48.2% share. It was an […]

President Trump and MAGA-world influencers are echoing Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro's claims of a rigged election after the Trump-aligned populist fell to the incumbent president in Sunday's election. The big picture: President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's runoff victory has been widely seen as a counterweight to the global right's surge in Latin America. But Bolsonaro, like his father , isn't accepting defeat. What they're saying: "It looked like another rigged election, frankly," Trump told reporters Monday. He added, "Elections have to be indisputable, and it looked very bad to me." The White House referred Axios to Trump's comments when asked to respond. Friction point: Bolsonaro told reporters it was "impossible to recognize the result of this election in the context of how these things have happened," according to a translation . He also vowed to ask for the results to be annulled. Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin's two-hour extension to Sunday's voting has fueled Bolsonaro's claims. Zanin previously served as Lula's lawyer. But both Bolsonaro and Lula's camps requested more time for voters. Lula's team requested the extension because of public transit issues, while Bolsonaro sought additional time in certain states because of weather, Bloomberg reported . The extension was reportedly given as many polling stations were already wrapping up. Multiple outlets noted that the decision risked setting the stage for candidates to dispute the results, despite Brazil's voting system being widely recognized for its reliability. Zoom out: Several prominent voices in the online MAGA movement backed Bolsonaro's refusal to accept the election results, and some urged the Trump administration to act. "The math just ain't mathin'," podcaster Benny Johnson said in a Monday edition of his show where he criticized the election results. He was joined by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who argued Brazil looked like "a banana republic." Former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon urged the administration to sever ties with Brazil on his "War Room" show, adding, "if we don't take action ... it's happening next Tuesday here in this country." Jack Posobiec echoed Bannon's unfounded claims, writing on X, "Look at what the Left is doing in Brazil in broad daylight. Do you really think they wouldn't in the United States?" Andrew Kolvet, who produced "The Charlie Kirk Show," said the U.S. should "quietly pressure them behind the scenes" and not accept the result. He further urged Bolsonaro supporters not to show up for work and "rally in the streets." What we're watching: The attention on Bolsonaro's loss comes as MAGA activists have pushed for Trump to take extraordinary measures, like martial law, if they think the U.S. election is rigged, Axios' Brittany Gibson reports . Trump has continued to stoke the coals of election denialism, while political opponents have accused his administration of trying to intimidate voters and election officials. Meanwhile, the Justice Department has waged an aggressive pre-election offensive, including a preemptive request that could delay certification of Alaska's Senate results and a lawsuit against California over alleged suspected noncitizens receiving ballots. Go deeper: Trump allies fall in two elections as Netanyahu faces next test

President Trump said Monday that Brazil's runoff election looked "rigged" and "corrupt" after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pulled off a stunning comeback victory against opponent Flavio Bolsonaro.

Flávio Bolsonaro’s loss is a setback for President Donald Trump’s bid to elevate like-minded leaders across the globe.

US President Donald Trump said Brazil’s runoff election looked “rigged,” after that country’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, pulled off a stunning comeback victory against challenger Flávio Bolsonaro.

Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. and leaders around the world congratulated Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, commonly known as Lula, for winning an unprecedented fourth term Sunday. Lula, an outspoken critic of President Trump, defeated Flávio Bolsonaro in Sunday’s runoff election. Bolsonaro is the son of Brazil’s former far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro, who is...

A fourth presidential victory gives Lula another chance to defend democracy, protect the Amazon and deliver for Brazil’s working people Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s win in Brazil’s presidential election is a triumph for him, his country and the world. The 80-year-old incumbent snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, blocked the rise of the far right and saved the planetary air-conditioning system of the Amazon from irreparable destruction . Known universally as Lula, he made history by becoming the first candidate to win a presidential run-off after finishing second in the opening round. In triumphing against Flávio Bolsonaro, the leftist stopped what could have been the most dangerous consolidation of authoritarian rule in Brazil since military rule ended. A Bolsonaro presidency could have used a rightwing Congress to extend presidential terms and pack the supreme court, entrenching power for generations. Lula seemed to have been energised by his first-round defeat by Mr Bolsonaro. The three-time president initially pitted his extraordinary life and record against a 45-year-old senator married to controversy . But voters wanted answers to economic insecurity, rising prices and poor public services. Lula reversed course in the second round, offering immediate relief from everyday costs and indebtedness – including to the rising number of self-employed voters whom his rightwing opponent had been courting. Popular mobilisation transformed the runoff into a race to stop a Bolsonaro restoration with student protests , mass demonstrations and a 10 million-strong “ Lula’s Army ” WhatsApp channel. It seemed to work. Nearly 5 million more people voted in the second round of the Brazilian election than the first. Continue reading...

A pair of Trump-friendly right-wing populists took a one-two punch Sunday: Brazil rejected a Bolsonaro comeback, and Serbia toppled a strongman's ruling party. The big picture: Brazil denied Trump a close ally at the helm of Latin America's largest economy, snapping a streak of seven straight conservative wins in the region. In Europe, Serbia and Hungary toppled leaders with close Trump ties who had dominated their countries for years. Now, another massively pivotal election looms Tuesday, when Trump ally , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will face a battle for political survival . On the eve of the election, Netanyahi touted Trump's endorsement and his "friendship" with the American president. But as the global right has made gains, opposition forces proved this weekend that they still have fuel. Driving the news: In Brazil, leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva staved off a challenge from Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro . The younger Bolsonaro, widely seen as the heir to his father's populist movement, refused to concede and called for the results to be annulled, according to translations . The elder Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence after being convicted of plotting a coup to overturn his 2022 loss . Trump has called the prosecution a "WITCH HUNT." The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment on the race. Between the lines: Brazil's election emerged as a test of Trump's political influence in Latin America, where right-wing and Trump-backed candidates have celebrated an uninterrupted series of wins . Those victories include Trump-endorsed Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia , Nasry "Tito" Asfura in Honduras and José Antonio Kast in Chile . Trump did not formally endorse Flávio Bolsonaro, but he met with him earlier this year and imposed ignificant tariffs on Brazil as he protested the charges against Bolsonaro's father. Lula is a vocal Trump critic. In March, Flávio Bolsonaro told an audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference that America faced a "fork in the road" in the election: "Either you have the most powerful ally in the hemisphere, or an antagonist." Zoom out: Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, a student-led opposition movement toppled the right-wing party of long-serving strongman Aleksandar Vučić, who was seeking to become prime minister. Unlike the Bolsonaros, Vučić conceded defeat Sunday. The Balkan leader had courted Trump's inner circle, including Donald Trump Jr., and described the president as a "kindred spirit." It reflects the shifting tides that also allowed next-door Hungary to oust Trump-allied Viktor Orbán , once one of the Western world's most entrenched populist leaders, in April after 16 years in power. Yes, but: Europe's political upheaval is cutting both ways: While the populist right has fallen in Serbia and Hungary, it's gaining ground in two of the continent's largest economies. In France, far-right presidential frontrunner Marine Le Pen launched her 2027 campaign this weekend, seizing on nationwide unrest to pitch her tough-on-crime, anti-migrant agenda. In Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany won a record 44% in a state election last month and continues to lead in national polls. What we're watching: Trump's historic move of endorsing Netanyahu in Tuesday's Israeli elections will once again test his influence abroad. Tuesday's election in Israel is set to be tight for Netanyahu, who has sought to elevate Trump's endorsement as he jockeys with former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot . The 77-year-old Netanyahu has been prime minister for some 19 years in nonconsecutive terms. Analysts see the election as a referendum on the security failure of Oct. 7, 2023, that killed around 1,200 people. Whoever governs Israel could shape Trump's next moves in the Middle East — including whether to escalate the war in Iran. Go deeper: Lula v. Bolsonaro: Brazil election unfolds in Trump's shadow

Regional and world leaders congratulated Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after he defeated challenger Flavio Bolsonaro to win an unprecedented fourth term.

After the rejoicing, it will be vital to learn the lessons. The rightward shift is neither inevitable nor irreversible, but progressives cannot rest for a moment The impossible happened. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a fourth term in Sunday’s runoff election in Brazil, overturning Flávio Bolsonaro’s first-round lead in a historic comeback. No candidate has ever lost the first round and won the second, until now. Grassroots mobilisation, alongside social welfare policies, helped turn the contest into a referendum on Brazilian democracy, rallying voters against a candidate seeking to restore the legacy of his father, Jair Bolsonaro, imprisoned for plotting a coup after his 2022 defeat. Lula’s victory suggests that defending democracy can still be a powerful electoral argument against the ascendant right. Having already consolidated most of the leftwing vote, Lula had limited room to attract supporters of other candidates after his first-round defeat. His best chance lay in mobilising abstainers and reconnecting with working-class voters. The Workers’ party intensified its grassroots and digital campaigns, using social media influencers and messaging networks to reach supporters. Nearly 3 million more Brazilians voted in the runoff, and Lula gained ground across the country, particularly in major cities and his north-eastern strongholds. He also appealed to voters’ immediate economic concerns, drawing on a record of reducing poverty and inequality, and increasing benefits under Bolsa Família , the landmark welfare programme he launched in 2003. Lula framed the election as a choice between protecting social gains and democratic institutions, or returning to the Bolsonaro family’s attacks on both, warning that his opponent would compromise Brazil’s sovereignty by aligning himself with Donald Trump. Jordana Timerman is a journalist based in Buenos Aires. She is the managing editor of The Ideas Letter and compiles the Latin America Daily Briefing Continue reading...

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a vocal critic of President Trump, was reelected Sunday in a runoff over right-wing opponent Flávio Bolsonaro, who is refusing to concede defeat.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won a record fourth term in office, defeating far-right challenger Flávio Bolsonaro by 4 million votes in a runoff election on Sunday. Flávio Bolsonaro is the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who remains under house arrest for plotting a coup against Lula four years ago. The younger Bolsonaro, who narrowly defeated Lula in the first round of voting earlier this month, is now refusing to concede. Lula’s surprise comeback comes after weeks of student-led organizing and campaigning on his behalf, and amid accusations that U.S.-based tech companies were suppressing Lula’s reach online in favor of his Trump-aligned opponent. “The amount of organizing, the amount of marches and rallies, campaigning, pamphlets that we’ve seen the last three weeks has been something that I have never seen in my entire life, ever, covering elections for decades in so many different countries. It is absolutely unprecedented,” says Brazil-based journalist Michael Fox. “It is an absolute game-changer for the region.”

Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was elected to a fourth, nonconsecutive term in the nation's presidential election according to early results released Sunday evening. Why it matters: Lula's victory deals a setback to Brazil's right-wing populist movement and preserves a major counterweight to President Trump 's influence in Latin America, with tensions over trade and tariffs threatening to persist. Lula, the incumbent candidate, was facing Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro . Flávio was widely seen as the heir to the nation's right-wing populist movement. The big picture: The election has been shaped by the impact of U.S. tariffs, climate change and the Amazon rainforest, 60% of which is in Brazil. Bolsonaro campaigned on public security and tackling corruption, presenting himself as a continuation of his father's political legacy, while Lula emphasized defending Brazilian sovereignty against U.S. pressure. Yet substantive policy debate was limited, with both candidates focusing instead on corruption allegations levied against the opposing camp, wrote Matthew Taylor, a Brazil politics expert at American University. Zoom in: After the U.S. imposed additional 25% tariffs on some Brazilian goods this summer, Lula accused Bolsonaro of being "Trump's candidate" and the U.S. president of wanting to "colonize" Brazil. Lula has enacted climate policies aimed at reversing environmental deregulation under the previous administration, while Bolsonaro denied climate change and pledged to continue his father's political legacy. Amazon deforestation has fallen 71% since 2022, the year before Lula returned to office, reaching its lowest annual level on record in 2026. Yet Lula's environmental record is complicated by his support for expanded oil development. Lula defeated Jair Bolsonaro in the previous election. The elder Bolsonaro is now serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup to overturn the 2022 election, though he remains under house arrest due to health problems.

Brazilians will vote for their next president on Sunday after neither 80-year-old incumbent left-winger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva nor right-winger Flavio Bolsonaro garnered a majority of the votes in the election’s first round earlier this month. Bolsonaro, who has President Donald Trump’s endorsement, is the slight favorite heading into Sunday’s runoff, with him leading […]

If Flávio Bolsonaro is elected, Brazil’s ecosystems will face collapse. The ruling class would rather burn the world than share it with the poor However grim the trajectory might seem, I’ve always believed that sense will ultimately prevail. As the great perils of dismantling the living world become increasingly obvious, even the most rapacious exploiters must come round. Nobody wants to live on a dead planet, do they? There are – or were – signs that this wasn’t just wishful thinking. Since 2015, mostly thanks to China, the area of the planet being reforested has increased , while thanks in large part to Brazil, the global rate of forest destruction has declined. The area of the Brazilian Amazon forest cleared each year is one-sixth of what it was when records began in 1988. In the past four years, as a result of Brazilian government policy, the deforestation rate has fallen by 71% . If Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is re-elected president on Sunday, the country could reach zero deforestation by 2030. The arc of the moral universe seems to have bent towards justice. Continue reading...

Lula’s supporters suspect tech firm meddling on behalf of US president Donald Trump, who has close ties to Bolsonaro family Five days after his defeat in the first round of the Brazilian presidential election, leftwing president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva spent almost 24 hours unable to boost his Instagram posts, while his opponent, far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro, could. Lula’s lawyers included the episode in a list of incidents that they submitted to the electoral court and international observers as “evidence” that Meta, Instagram’s owner, was actively trying to interfere in Brazil’s election in Bolsonaro’s favour. Continue reading...