US President Donald Trump has suggested that Brazil’s presidential runoff election, narrowly won by left-wing incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, may have been rigged.

According to the official tally, Lula received 51.79% of the vote on Sunday, while his right-wing rival, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, secured 48.21%.

“It looked terrible to me,” Trump told reporters on Monday. “I didn’t take sides, but it looked like another rigged election, frankly.”

Asked whether he planned to “do something” about the result, Trump replied: “I’m not running Brazil. I’m running the U.S. I like Lula. I get along with him very well. I just think it had a very bad look – the election, the way it was tabulated.”

Bolsonaro announced on election night that he would seek to have the results annulled, accusing “Lula’s allies” in the government of foul play.

In the first round on October 4, Bolsonaro led with 47% of the vote to Lula’s 45%. Some analysts suggested that Bolsonaro could win the runoff by attracting supporters of other right-wing candidates.

Bolsonaro’s father, Jair Bolsonaro, who served as Brazil’s president from 2019 to 2022, is serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 election to Lula. He has denied the allegations, claiming that the case was politically motivated.

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