Rise of Populism: Parallels Between Bolsonaro and Trump

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The rise of populist leaders leads one to question the appeal of these candidates and the extent to which they influence or embolden one another. To many, the popularity of these candidates are surprising as their conservative stance on social issues seem outdated. Regardless, leaders like Bolsonaro in Brazil and Trump in the U.S., gained massive and loyal support that preserves their legacy despite the end of their presidential rule. The similarities between Bolsonaro and Trump and their continued collaboration with one another allows for a comparison between the state of U.S.-Brazil relations and how they manifest between current and former presidents. Additionally, it is important to consider the international solidarity shared among supporters of Bolsonaro and Trump. 

The similarities in Bolsonaro and Trump’s rule secured their relationship while they were both in charge of the largest democracies in the Americas. They have both expressed the admiration they have for one another, Bolsonaro even calling Trump a “role model” (Rochabrun 2020). This exemplifies how the rise of Trump paved the way for Bolsonaro to come to power in Brazil. The two leaders held multiple meetings together and Bolsonaro’s son also had several opportunities to meet with Trump. As active users of social media to condemn “mainstream media” they have also exchanged praise. Once their re-election campaign neared, they both endorsed each other and hoped for both of their victories. After Trump’s loss, Bolsonaro initially refused to acknowledge President Biden’s victory which complicated U.S.-Brazil Relations. However, he later congratulated him on his win which appeared to be a diplomatic obligation. Bolsonaro eventually met the same end as President Lula da Silva defeated him in the 2022 Presidential Election. 

One of the parallels between the former presidents, Bolsonaro and Trump, is the false claims of election fraud following their re-election campaign loss. This strategy is a particularly harmful consequence of populism as it endangers the trust between the government and its citizens. Norris recognizes two other consequences including “undermining international standards of electoral integrity” and “increasing the potential for collusion with foreign governments” (Norris 2017).  However, Norris only considers the effects of populism on Western countries. While these findings cannot be generalized to Brazil, we can question the implications of solely focusing on the effects of populism on Western countries. This focus places Brazil and the rest of the world in the “other” category. The distinction was presumably made due to the integrity of Brazilian elections already being questioned internationally prior to the influence of Bolsonaro. The U.S. is held at a higher standard which made the political style of Trump appear so unexpected and a move to undermine the country’s reputation as a well-established democracy. Nonetheless, the perception of Western countries as the epitome of democracy is problematic due to the part they played in destabilizing the Global South. It is unfair to question the state of democracy in countries like Brazil, as the political instability can be attributed to U.S. intervention through the support of paramilitaries and other anti-democratic organizations and leaders. Thus, the rise of Trump highlights how the U.S. is equally as susceptible to democratic challenges as other younger democracies. 

Following the losses of Bolsonaro and Trump, the claims of election fraud fueled anti-establishment protests across the two countries. The Jan. 6 insurrection in the U.S. Capitol resulted in supporters of Trump storming government buildings in hopes of overturning the result of the presidential election. The incident originated from a Trump rally where the former President addressed the crowd and continued to claim the election had been stolen from him. This emboldened his supporters and the crowd marched to the Capitol building to attack. Trump is often blamed for inciting this attack as the incursion was coordinated and his struggle to condemn the actions of his supporters. Following this insurrection, there was an attempt to replicate the same movement in Brazil (Kranish & Stanley-Becker 2023). In September, only months after Jan. 6, Bolsonaro supporters stormed the Supreme Court building in Brasilia. The crowd was armed and many wore military attire. While there were reports of shots fired, the attack was deemed unsuccessful. Nonetheless, the damage has been done to the political stability of the country. These two instances of political violence in reaction to a democratic election showcases the consequences of political polarization in Brazil and the U.S. 

About two days prior to the inauguration of President Lula, Bolsonaro left Brazil and settled in Florida with his temporary head of state visa (Jones 2023). This means that Bolsonaro was not even present to witness the attempted insurrection in his home country, protecting him from the investigations. Reports now find that he is working with an immigration law firm to apply for a six-month visa to remain in the U.S. This process is set to take months, so he will remain in the country in the meantime. It is unsure why the former president decided to settle in the U.S. following his loss, but his continued communication with Trump indicates a possible political strategy. The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is set to host the former President Bolsonaro and he is set to give a speech at the event, where Trump will also deliver the closing speech. Bolsonaro has experienced a warm welcome from the American far-right which has sparked some doubt among Bolsonaro’s supporters that remain in Brazil. The former president has reassured them but it is not known whether his supporters’ loyalty will waver. The goals of this alliance are largely unknown, but current leaders, President Biden and President Lula, have also ensured their cooperation in the strengthening of democratic institutions. The development of these relationships will be interesting to observe following the CPAC in Maryland and the increased involvement of Bolsonaro in U.S. politics. 

References 

Jones, Julia. “Why the American far right adopted Brazilian ex-president Jair Bolsonaro.” CNN News, March 4, 2023. https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/04/americas/cpac-2023-bolsonaro-brazil-intl-latam/index.html. 

Kranish, Michael & Stanley-Becker, Isaac. “Brazil’s riot highlights close ties between Bolsonaro and Trump.” The Washington Post, January 9, 2023. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/09/bolsonaro-riots-us-election-deniers-trump-bannon/. 

Norris, Pippa. “Why populism is a threat to electoral integrity.” London School of Economics and Political Science, May 16, 2017. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2017/05/16/why-populism-is-a-threat-to-electoral-integrity/. 

Rochabrun, Marcelo. “Brazil’s Bolsonaro, a Trump ally, says he hopes U.S. president is reelected.” Reuters, July 16, 2020. https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-brazil-politics-usa-idUKKCN24H3GP.