The Bolsonaro-Trump Connection: A Tale of Two Leaders
During his presidency in Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro earned the moniker “Trump of the Tropics.” This comparison was not incidental, as the Bolsonaro family actively fostered this image. From the moment he ascended to power in 2018, Bolsonaro expressed an unwavering admiration for the United States. Notably, in his inaugural year, he even saluted the American flag. However, his most fervent devotion was reserved for one individual: Donald Trump. In a memorable encounter at the United Nations in 2019, Bolsonaro declared, “I love you” to the then-President of the United States.
Before taking office, Bolsonaro was known as an anti-democratic ideologue and a former military officer with a lengthy political career; in contrast, Trump was primarily a real estate mogul and a television personality. Yet, over the six years that Bolsonaro dominated headlines in Latin America’s largest country, he provided numerous reasons for commentators to draw parallels between the two leaders. Both men openly praised authoritarian figures, both historical and contemporary, while branding themselves as champions of law and order, all the while flouting established norms.
Moreover, both leaders cultivated alliances with the religious right later in their careers, involving their sons in the promotion of their respective agendas. Their social media presence was characterized by frequent Twitter tirades aimed at their adversaries, antagonizing traditional media, and galvanizing their bases. Interestingly, both figures sought refuge in Florida during turbulent times.
For decades, the Brazilian right has looked to the United States for inspiration. The advent of Donald Trump and his transformative approach to political discourse significantly impacted right-wing rhetoric in Brazil. Damares Alves, an evangelical pastor who served as Bolsonaro’s Minister of Human Rights, Families, and Women, remarked, “We learned to have the courage to speak up. We began to be more incisive on issues like abortion. We realized we could adopt a tougher stance against the left-wing transformation taking place across our continent.”
As president, Bolsonaro eagerly sought to transplant elements of the MAGA movement into Brazilian politics. Consequently, when Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, in protest of a purportedly “stolen” election, many Brazilians feared that Bolsonaro’s supporters might attempt a similar uprising. Their concerns were validated when, on January 1, 2023, Bolsonaro’s opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, leader of the left-leaning Workers’ Party, was inaugurated. Bolsonaro, choosing to skip the ceremony, secluded himself in the Orlando suburbs, staying at the residence of a mixed martial arts fighter. For weeks, fervent Bolsonaristas camped nationwide, brandishing banners that called for a military “intervention.”
In a striking resemblance to the events of January 6 in the U.S., on January 8, Bolsonaro’s supporters surged into government buildings in Brasília, despite the transition of power already having taken place, leaving many structures largely vacant. Military police apprehended over 1,000 individuals, allowing Lula to swiftly reestablish control over the country.
Now, Bolsonaro, much like Trump, faces a plethora of criminal charges related to his attempts to undermine democratic elections. While Trump has faced a conviction in one case, Bolsonaro has been barred from seeking the presidency. In June 2023, Brazil’s electoral court ruled that Bolsonaro’s disparagement of the voting system rendered him ineligible for any political office until 2030. Presently, he is entangled in hundreds of additional court cases. In February of this year, authorities confiscated his passport after the arrest of several former aides implicated in a coup plot, thwarting any chance of another escape to Florida. In a dramatic turn, Bolsonaro sought refuge for two nights in the Hungarian Embassy in São Paulo, possibly hoping to leverage his connection with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a friend he shares with Trump, should he need to flee again.
In summary, Jair Bolsonaro, during his presidency, mirrored many of the controversial tactics and ideologies associated with Donald Trump, creating a complex and contentious political landscape in Brazil.
