Trump says he will talk to Lula and that PT member asked him not to take sides

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated this Thursday (29) that he intends to talk to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), but once again criticized the Brazilian electoral process. It is the fifth time that the Republican has questioned the conduct of the presidential election in the country.

"I'll talk to him, but I think the election was a disgrace in Brazil," said Trump, when asked if he intended to call Lula and congratulate him on his victory.

Asked who he considers the legitimate winner of the Brazilian presidential race, Trump avoided answering directly.

"I don't want to comment, but I thought the election was a great embarrassment for the Brazilian people. The current president asked me not to take sides, and I didn't. But, when I saw what happened in Brazil, I thought it was a shame," he said. "Well, the market responded to that."

Trump made reference to the strong negative reaction of the Brazilian financial market to Lula's re-election. On Monday (26), the first trading session after the second round, the Ibovespa, the main index on the Brazilian Stock Exchange, plummeted 13.88%, the biggest daily drop since March 2020.

The dollar soared 8.21%, closing at R$5.40, while the Stock Exchange temporarily suspended trading due to the sharp losses.

The statement comes amid questions made by the American president about the result of the Brazilian elections, won by Lula against Flávio Bolsonaro (PL). This is the fifth time that the president has commented on the results of the second round of elections.

On Monday (26), Trump had already stated, without providing evidence, that the Brazilian election appeared to have been rigged. At the time, he said he liked Lula and had a good relationship with the PT member, but criticized the extension of voting hours.

Despite the criticism, Trump did not state that he recognizes Flávio as the winner nor did he directly respond to the question about the legitimacy of the result. He also did not say when he intended to talk to Lula.