How Bolsonaro will follow the U.S. election (and root for Trump)

Photo montage: André Chiavassa/TBR

Breaking with political etiquette, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has not disguised his desire for Donald Trump to win today’s 2020 U.S. presidential election. In his most recent display of affection towards his American counterpart, Mr. Bolsonaro said he hopes to attend Mr. Trump’s second inauguration. “I don’t need to hide this, it comes from the heart,” he said, during the October visit of U.S. National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien.

As the polls open around the U.S., Mr. Bolsonaro will spend the day following the developments of Election Day.

This morning, he met with cabinet members and foreign policy advisors for updates on election probabilities — and to decide on his strategy in case Democratic candidate Joe Biden confirms his lead in the polls and takes the White House.

Members of the president’s inner circle and career diplomats diverge on what they see as the likeliest outcome of the election. Filipe Martins, a special advisor on foreign...

Débora Álvares

Débora Álvares has worked as a political reporter for newspapers Folha de S.Paulo, O Estado de S.Paulo, Globo News, HuffPost, among others. She specializes in reporting on Brasilia, working behind-the-scenes coverage at the Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary branches of government.