Former President Donald Trump and far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro have lots in common. The two men have both repeatedly demonized the press, used militant nationalist rhetoric to invigorate their voters, and they've each spread mountains of disinformation regarding the deadly COVID-19 pandemic that's killed millions worldwide. Both Trump and Bolsonaro were Presidents of countries with some of the highest COVID-19 cases and death rates.
Bolsonaro may now face charges for his response to COVID-19, if Brazil's Prosecutor-General heeds Tuesday's recommendation from a subcommittee in the Brazilian Senate. The committee formally recommended criminal charges against Bolsonaro for everything from wrongful use of funds to crimes against humanity for the country's 600,000+ COVID deaths.
The Brazilian President has denied any wrongdoing and has continued to spread deadly disinformation. On the very same day the Senate committee recommended criminal charges against him, Facebook removed a livestream video of Bolsonaro after he falsely claimed the lifesaving vaccines give people AIDS.
Amid Bolsonaro's shameless doubling down on disinformation and potential exposure to criminal charges, former President Donald Trump issued a full-throated endorsement supporting Bolsonaro's reelection in 2022.
INBOX: Former President Donald Trump endorses Jair Bolsonaro's reelection in Brazilpic.twitter.com/8IFaImbLhw— Ben Jacobs (@Ben Jacobs) 1635291596
Trump wrote:
"President Jair Bolsonaro and I have become great friends over the past few years. He fights hard for, and loves, the people of Brazil—Just like I do for the people of the United States. Brazil is lucky to have a man such as Jair Bolsonaro working for them. He is a great President and will never let the people of his great country down!"
Given the pair's similarities, people weren't a bit surprised
Mass-Murderer Fan Clubhttps://twitter.com/Bencjacobs/status/1453144393804881921\u00a0\u2026— Tea Pain (@Tea Pain) 1635293642
They\u2019re fingers on the same tiny handhttps://twitter.com/bencjacobs/status/1453144393804881921\u00a0\u2026— Luke Zaleski (@Luke Zaleski) 1635292554
Makes sense. Bolsonaro is the Glenn Youngkin of Brazil.https://twitter.com/Bencjacobs/status/1453144393804881921\u00a0\u2026— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) 1635291745
Fascist birds of a featherhttps://twitter.com/bencjacobs/status/1453144393804881921\u00a0\u2026— Claude Taylor (@Claude Taylor) 1635335859
Not surprising in the slightesthttps://twitter.com/bencjacobs/status/1453144393804881921\u00a0\u2026— Green Gen-Z Conservative (@Green Gen-Z Conservative) 1635338159
People doubted Trump's endorsement would help Bolsonaro's candidacy.
Any endorsement is really an automatic disqualification in my book!— JP (@JP) 1635291976
Kiss of death— Billy Hunter (@Billy Hunter) 1635291891
Aww, bless him. He thinks he\u2019s helping.— John Williamson (@John Williamson) 1635291821
What we won't know til next year is whether or not Bolsonaro—unlike Trump—will accept the results of Brazil's election if he loses.
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