Trump on Bolsonaro’s son’s defeat in Brazil: The elections looked rigged

U.S. President Donald Trump has cast doubt on Brazil’s electoral process, saying the elections had looked rigged to him.

Asked by a journalist about the defeat of the son of his ally, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who had strongly supported Trump, the U.S. president said the process had left a very negative impression on him.

“They looked like something terrible. Honestly, they looked like rigged elections,” Trump said.

He stressed that he had not supported either candidate. “I didn’t take a position in favor of either side, but everything looked terrible to me,” the U.S. president said.

Trump added that he had a good relationship with Brazilian President Lula, but criticized the decision to extend voting hours. “I don’t govern Brazil; I govern the United States. I like Lula and get along very well with him, but the extension of voting hours that was granted was very strange,” he said.

“Elections should be beyond dispute. They looked very bad to me. I didn’t take a position or support anyone or anything, but I watched the elections. They looked so corrupt and so terrible,” Trump continued.

The U.S. president was referring to the decision to extend the voting process by two hours, a measure described as highly unprecedented in Brazil’s history.