'Looked so corrupt’: Trump questions Brazil election after Lula defeats his ally

US President Donald Trump questioned the legitimacy of Brazil's presidential election, describing it as "rigged" and "corrupt" after incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated his right-wing ally Flávio Bolsonaro. Trump criticized the counting process and a decision to extend voting hours, which he claimed caused confusion at polling stations.

The extension was ordered by Brazil's Supreme Court due to issues with transportation in some states. Trump did not provide evidence for his claims of irregularities and declined to commit to any response to the result, focusing instead on domestic politics. Meanwhile, Flávio Bolsonaro has called for the runoff result to be annulled.

This outcome follows a previous attempt by Jair Bolsonaro to challenge his defeat in a prior election, which resulted in his conviction for plotting a coup. Trump's comments come as he seeks to bolster his Latin America ambitions, but Brazil's election result may pose a setback for his efforts.

Brief written by urgent.news from Times of India's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.