Donald Trump Endorses Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro for Another 4-Year Term

Former President Donald Trump has officially endorsed Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro in his reelection bid.

According to Bloomberg, Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social that "Tropical Trump" has done "a great job for the wonderful people of Brazil."

The former president noted that when he was the president of the U.S., there was no other country leader who called him more than Bolsonaro.

Trump also wrote that Bolsonaro "is a wonderful man" who "loves Brazil beyond all else," and has his "complete & total endorsement."

The U.S. is known to have a standing policy not to choose a side when it comes to other nations' elections, believing that the votes must reflect the voters' desires.

However, several U.S. presidents reportedly broke that policy, including Barack Obama, who expressed opposition to Brexit, while Bill Clinton supported Russia's former president Boris Yeltsin's reelection in 1996.

Many of Bolsonaro's critics expressed fears that the Brazilian president would follow Donald Trump's steps and contest the results of the elections.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre noted that the U.S. will monitor the elections in Brazil with "full expectations that they will be conducted in a free, fair, and credible manner."

Jair Bolsonaro Alleging Fraud in Brazil Elections

Critics of Jair Bolsonaro said that the Brazilian president might be "laying the groundwork" for an attempt to stay in power if the vote does not go his way.

Bolsonaro has since attacked the voting machines' reliability. In July, he called dozens of diplomats to the presidential residence to present his claims. Bolsonaro's allegations against the voting system have spread across social media, according to Al Jazeera.

The Brazilian president's claims were similar to the allegations made by Donald Trump when he lost the 2020 presidential election.

On Wednesday, Bolsonaro mixed military parades on Brazil's Independence Day with political rallies, campaigning for his reelection in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro.

Bolsonaro took a jab against leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, calling him a "gangster." He added that Brazil would have a "much better administration" with him.

Newsweek reported that Lula reportedly hit back at Bolsonaro by saying he never used the nation's Independence Day as a political tool.

Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Polls

In August, a poll showed that Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva maintained a significant lead over Jair Bolsonaro. However, it also showed that the right-wing leader was gaining ground.

France 24 reported that the poll showed a 15-point lead over the far-right Bolsonaro, which was significantly narrower than the 18-point gap in July.

The poll also showed Lula beating Bolsonaro with 54% of the vote. Datafolha, the company that conducted the poll, said it interviewed 5,744 people in 281 Brazilian cities with a margin of error of more or less two points.

The first round of the election will be held on October 2. A second round will be conducted at the end of October if no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Brazil on Edge for a Bicentennial Bolsonaro Has Made His Own - From FRANCE 24 English