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Former President Donald Trump once again threw his support behind right-wing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, urging Brazilians to vote for the incumbent during the second round of the country's presidential election on Sunday.
The Brazilian election went to a second round runoff after neither Bolsonaro nor his left-wing challenger, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is known as "Lula," garnered more than 50 percent of the vote in round one earlier this month. During the first round, Lula, a former Brazilian president, received 48 percent of the vote while Bolsonaro received just under 44 percent.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday, Trump told Brazilians that Bolsonaro "needs you to get out and Vote."
"Don't let the Radical Left Lunatics & Maniacs destroy Brazil like they have so many other countries. President Bolsonaro has done a fantastic job, has my Complete and Total Endorsement, and deserves your VOTE. He will NEVER let you down!!!" Trump continued.
The ex-president has been a frequent supporter of Bolsonaro and endorsed him last month in a video ahead of the election's first round of voting.
"He's done an absolutely incredible job with your economy, with your country. He's respected by everybody all throughout the world. So I strongly endorse President Bolsonaro. He will be your leader for hopefully a long time," Trump said, who also called the Brazilian leader "one of the great presidents of any country in the world."
Meanwhile, Lula had a significant lead in polls ahead of the first vote on October 2. However, Reuters reported on Saturday that recent polls show the former president's advantage has shrunk. Polls from Datafolha and Quaest found Lula with support from 52 percent of voters compared to 48 percent for Bolsonaro. This marks a 2 point drop for Lula compared to three days before.
Reuters also reported that during a debate on Friday, Lula attacked Bolsonaro over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, while the incumbent president said he would raise the country's minimum wage if reelected.
Bolsonaro has been criticized for casting doubt about the integrity of the country's electoral system and for encouraging political violence. He has suggested, without any proof, that the country's election system is vulnerable to fraud, and has said the Brazilian public should be suspicious if he doesn't win the election with at least 60 percent of the vote.
Tensions surrounding the election increased last week, when a Bolsonaro ally, ex-Brazilian lawmaker Roberto Jefferson, opened fire on federal officers who had come to arrest him over online comments he made about a judge, Reuters reported.
"What we saw on Sunday could well be the prelude to a new wave of political violence, in particular amongst groups who won't accept the election result if President Bolsonaro loses," said Mauricio Santoro, a political science professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, told the outlet.
Newsweek has reached out to Trump's press office for comment.
About the writer
Xander Landen is a Newsweek weekend reporter. His focus is often U.S. politics, but he frequently covers other issues including ... Read more