The Bolsonaro-Trump Connection: Political Parallels and Democratic Challenges

The Bolsonaro-Trump Connection: A Tropical Parallel

During his presidency in Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro was frequently referred to as the “Trump of the Tropics,” a moniker that the Bolsonaro family embraced wholeheartedly. From the moment he ascended to power in 2018, Bolsonaro expressed fervent admiration for the United States — even going so far as to salute the American flag in his inaugural year. However, it was his personal affection for one particular American that stood out; when he met President Donald Trump at the United Nations in 2019, he proclaimed, “I love you.”

Before taking office, Bolsonaro was known as an anti-democratic ideologue and a former military officer with a longstanding career in Brazilian politics, while Trump was primarily a real estate mogul and a media figure. Despite their different backgrounds, the two men shared numerous traits that led observers to draw parallels between them. Both leaders openly praised authoritarian figures throughout history and positioned themselves as champions of law and order, often disregarding established rules. Additionally, both cultivated relationships with the religious right later in their political journeys, involving their sons in efforts to promote their individual agendas.

• Both utilized social media platforms like Twitter to attack opponents, mock traditional media, and energize their base.
• Both sought refuge in Florida when political pressures mounted.

For decades, the Brazilian right had closely monitored developments in the United States. When Trump began to reshape the political landscape, Brazilian conservatives took note. Damares Alves, an evangelical pastor and 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 the question of abortion. We learned we could be more direct about the issue of arming the population. We realized we could take a tougher stand against the left-wing transformation taking place across our continent.”

As president, Bolsonaro seemed enthusiastic about importing elements of the MAGA movement into Brazil. Consequently, when Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, in protest of what they claimed was a “stolen” election, many Brazilians feared that Bolsonaro’s supporters might attempt a similar uprising. Their concerns materialized on January 8, 2023, when Bolsonaro’s adversary, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, from the left-wing Workers’ Party, was inaugurated. Bolsonaro notably opted out of the ceremony, retreating to the Orlando suburbs and taking refuge at the residence of a mixed martial arts fighter.

In the weeks leading up to the inauguration, Bolsonaro’s supporters, known as Bolsonaristas, camped out across Brazil, waving banners demanding a military “intervention.” On January 8, they stormed and occupied government buildings in Brasília, echoing the events of January 6, even though the transition had already occurred and many of these buildings were largely unoccupied. Military police swiftly intervened, arresting over 1,000 individuals, allowing Lula to swiftly reestablish control over the country.

Now, both Bolsonaro and Trump face a myriad of criminal allegations related to their attempts to disrupt democratic processes. While Trump has faced convictions in several cases, Bolsonaro stands out as the only one disqualified from future presidential runs. In June 2023, Brazil’s electoral court ruled that Bolsonaro’s relentless attacks on the integrity of the voting system rendered him ineligible for any political office until 2030. Currently, he is entangled in hundreds of other legal challenges. In February of this year, authorities seized his passport following the arrest of several former aides implicated in a coup plot, making any further escape to Florida unfeasible. In a moment of desperation, Bolsonaro sought refuge for two nights in the Hungarian Embassy in São Paulo, potentially hoping to leverage his ties with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, one of the many allies he shares with Trump, should he need to flee again.

Jair Bolsonaro, during his presidency, with Donald Trump in a 2019 meeting. Bolsonaro actively nurtured this relationship, emulating Trump’s disruptive approach to political norms throughout his campaign and time in office.