100 days of Jair Bolsonaro: Society

President Jair Bolsonaro is the least popular first-term head of state in the first three months of government. His approval rating is comparable to presidents in their second terms—after years taking political hits. This poses a stark contrast to his growing popularity on social media.  Despite preaching union in his inauguration speech, the president has sowed division within Brazilian society. Mimicking Donald Trump, Mr. Bolsonaro engaged his loyal social media base through controversial issues, attacking Carnival celebrations, the press, and even his allies.

In his first three months, Mr. Bolsonaro was true to the conservative agenda he has always supported, in fighting what he calls “gender ideology” (a dog-whistle term for homophobia) and adopting a hard-line approach against crime. Meanwhile, the opposition seems to take every piece of bait, fueling the “Us v. Them” narrative.

The tweeting president

The president continues to increase his presence on Twitter, sharing both his political views and official announcements in social media even before official press releases. This new style is a first in Brazilian politics and it is starting to cause trouble. During the peak of the crisis with Congress, House Speaker Rodrigo Maia said the president “should spend more time taking care of the pension reform than (taking care of) his Twitter.”

According to research by Congresso em Foco, 75.4 percent of party leaders in Congress