Flávio Bolsonaro Says He Was ‘Stunned By An Electoral Fraud’ With Trump Calling Brazil Election Results ‘Very Strange’

The US president declined to intervene after the defeated Brazilian senator accused President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Supreme Court of electoral fraud, without presenting evidence to substantiate the claim.

Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro has declared himself the country’s rightful president-elect despite losing the presidential election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, alleging that the result was stolen through an electoral coup involving the president and Brazil’s Supreme Court. US President Donald Trump declined to endorse the claim, calling the election “very strange” while saying he would not get involved.

Asked whether he agreed with the senator’s claim, Trump said, “I’m not going to make a comment about that. But I know that we gave him a pass to come into the country, so we’ll see. But I won’t get involved. It was a very strange election, that’s for sure.”

Bolsonaro published an open letter after arriving in the United States on Wednesday, October 28. In its initial version, he described himself as the “elected president” of Brazil. He later deleted it and issued a revised version calling himself the country’s “leader”, while continuing to allege that the election had been stolen. Reuters reported the change in wording.

The challenge comes despite Lula’s victory being confirmed by Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE). The court’s final tally gave Lula 64,256,232 votes, or 51.79% of valid votes, against 59,826,041 votes, or 48.21%, for Bolsonaro. Lula won by more than 4.4 million votes.

Bolsonaro’s statement accuses Lula and Supreme Court of electoral fraud

In the revised letter, Bolsonaro addressed his supporters and the wider Brazilian public, declaring himself the country’s “leader” and accusing those responsible for the election result of establishing what he called a tyranny. He alleged that the election had been stolen but did not provide evidence establishing that fraud had changed the outcome, Reuters reported.

Bolsonaro also questioned the conduct of the election and accused Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin, a former lawyer for Lula, of allowing an allegedly impossible increase in votes between the first and second rounds.

Bolsonaro wrote: “On Sunday night, I was stunned by an electoral fraud that was made reality before my eyes.” He claimed that the vote count had involved a “mathematical impossibility that added 10 million votes between the first and second round” of the election.

His revised statement also sought to present his departure from Brazil as a political decision rather than an attempt to evade legal scrutiny.

“I didn’t flee Brazil — I left Brazil,” he wrote, according to The Washington Post. He argued that remaining in the country would have prevented him from speaking freely and leading his supporters.

The statement followed his departure after a Brazilian Supreme Court order requiring him to surrender his passports in connection with an investigation into alleged money laundering. Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing.

Voting-hours dispute at centre of Bolsonaro’s challenge

Bolsonaro’s objections follow a decision by Supreme Court Justice Cristiano Zanin to extend voting until 7pm, two hours beyond the scheduled closing time, at polling stations that were still open. The extension followed allegations of voter suppression in north-eastern states, while both campaigns had raised concerns about voting access, including transport problems and heavy rain in some regions.

The voting-hours dispute is central to Bolsonaro’s challenge, but the figures do not support his claim that the extension changed the result. Lula defeated Bolsonaro by more than 4.4 million votes, while fewer than 35,000 votes were cast during the additional two hours, according to Reuters. Bolsonaro’s own campaign had also requested an extension because of heavy rain in southern Brazil.

The TSE confirmed Lula’s re-election on October 25. In its official account of the second round, the court reported that Lula received 51.79% of valid votes and Bolsonaro received 48.21%.

TSE president Kassio Nunes Marques said the election had respected legal and constitutional requirements. International observers and Bolsonaro’s own Liberal Party have also recognised Lula’s victory, according to Reuters.

Trump declines to endorse claim as US-Brazil tensions continue

Trump’s response leaves a distinction between his criticism of the election and his willingness to support Bolsonaro’s challenge. While describing the vote as “very strange”, he declined to endorse the senator’s claim that he was Brazil’s rightful leader.

Trump also acknowledged that the United States had permitted Bolsonaro and his family to enter the country. The senator thanked Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei for helping him leave Brazil and welcoming him abroad.

The episode comes amid strained relations between Washington and Brasília. Lula has accused the Trump administration of working with the Bolsonaro family to help them return to power, while Washington has denied interfering in Brazil’s domestic affairs.

Bolsonaro’s political future remains uncertain. His declaration suggests that he intends to retain a leadership role among his supporters, but it does not establish a legal basis for claiming Brazil’s presidency.

His father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, also refused to accept defeat by Lula in 2022. He was later sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup after his supporters stormed government buildings in Brasília in January 2023.

Lula’s victory remains the officially recognised result, and Bolsonaro’s declaration has not changed the outcome. Trump called the election “very strange” but declined to endorse Bolsonaro’s claim to the presidency. He also said he believed Bolsonaro and his family had been treated unfairly, while confirming that the US had granted them visas.