Trumpworld Gets a Red-Carpet Welcome in Bolsonaro’s Brazil
Trump allies such as Steve Bannon and Jason Miller have bonded with people close to the embattled president, who’s already claiming—without providing proof—that Brazil’s voting system is rigged ahead of next year’s election.
(Clockwise from top left) The Trump-Bolsonaro Friendship Society: Donald Trump Jr., Matt Schlapp, Mike Lindell, Eduardo Bolsonaro, Steve Bannon, Jason Miller, and (center) Jair Bolsonaro.
Photos: Getty ImagesWhen Donald Trump was in the White House, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, like many around the world, took lessons from his authoritarian political style. He dismissed unwelcome reports as fake news, downplayed Covid-19, and claimed to be the authentic beacon of hardworking folks crushed by educated elites, feeding a cult of personality that mimicked his ally to the north.
After Trump’s loss in November, many foreign leaders moved on. But Bolsonaro, 66, has doubled down on the former president’s formula, attacking Brazil’s congress and top judges as corrupt and charging without evidence that his opponents are hijacking voting systems.