Speaking to reporters as he departed Joint Base Andrews for a campaign rally in South Carolina, Trump said he did not want to comment directly on the outcome of Sunday’s runoff election, Anadolu Agency reported.
“But I thought the election was a very great embarrassment to the people of Brazil,” he said, adding that he had watched the vote without taking sides.
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Trump also alleged a “discrepancy” in the election and pointed to market performance as evidence of what he called a “disgraceful situation” for Brazil. He did not provide further details about the alleged discrepancy.
His remarks came after conservative presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro arrived in the United States following his defeat by incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Sunday’s runoff.
Bolsonaro has alleged electoral fraud without providing evidence and vowed to lead the opposition from Florida.
His departure from Brazil came despite a Supreme Court order requiring him to surrender his passports amid an investigation into alleged money laundering and financial fraud.
The US State Department confirmed that Bolsonaro and his immediate family had been granted visas to enter the country.
The election and Bolsonaro’s allegations have drawn renewed attention to Brazil’s political divisions and the response of international figures to the vote’s outcome.
