Defeated, Bolsonaro has not even been a lame duck

It’s a running joke in Brasília that when a government is about to end, the loss of political prestige is such that even coffee is served cold. Still, the “lame duck” epithet seems inaccurate to describe an outgoing president. Rather than a weakling, a sitting head of state can do a lot — especially when they are not bound by preoccupations about their legacy.

Many thought Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro would “run the cattle herd” before leaving office, trying to get his agenda passed or at least make a mess on his way out. Instead, it’s as if Mr. Bolsonaro has abdicated from power in the two months separating the presidential election from Inauguration Day.

Since October 30, when he lost the race to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Mr. Bolsonaro has become unusually reclusive. He has hardly attended any meetings or events outside of the Alvorada Palace, the presidential residence, barely going to the Planalto Palace, where his office is.  

Until the middle of this year, he maintained an average of almost five hours of work per day, according to his schedule. After being denied a second term, he worked an average of just 1.16 hours a day, according to a survey carried out by The Brazilian Report.

The weekly live social media broadcasts he maintained throughout his term (even when hospitalized) were interrupted. His public statements since the election total less than ten minutes. Combined.

Notably, Mr. Bolsonaro stayed silent for over 43 hours after the electoral results were proclaimed by officials. When he did finally speak, Mr. Bolsonaro failed to explicitly concede the race to his adversary (he still hasn’t). A day later, he half-heartedly asked supporters to stop blocking federal highways as they were creating risks to the country’s supply chains.

Carlos Pereira, political scientist at think tank Fundação Getulio Vargas, says Mr. Bolsonaro is no lame duck. He is rather a “quadriplegic duck,” unable to move at all.

It is common for outgoing politicians to become more reclusive,...