Global Elections: Trump Endorsements Face Rejection in Brazil and Serbia
Polls and recent votes show that presidential backing for foreign right-wing leaders is often ignored by domestic voters, leading to unexpected defeats.
By Megan Parker ·
President Donald Trump’s endorsement of foreign political candidates has faced a string of recent setbacks. In Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured reelection on Sunday, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro. Flávio Bolsonaro had aligned himself with Trump, a position shared by his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. The result stands as a clear rejection of a candidate explicitly linked to the U.S. president.
Similar dynamics played out in Serbia earlier this month. A student-led movement successfully ousted the ruling party of Aleksandar Vucic. Vucic had built close ties with Trump and his inner circle during his tenure as president from 2017 and prime minister from 2014 to 2017. During his concession speech, Vucic attributed the loss to what he called the legitimization of a revolution by the people, aided by European countries and the American deep state that opposes Trump.
The pattern of rejected endorsements extends to other regions. In Hungary, Vice President JD Vance visited in early 2026 to publicly support Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Orban, a staunch Trump ally, lost that election after 16 years in office. More recently, Trump endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the October 27 election. While final results are pending, the Associated Press reported that Netanyahu’s Likud party appears to have lost its majority in parliament.
Experts suggest that national concerns consistently outweigh international political alignments. Cas Mudde, a professor of international affairs at the University of Georgia, noted that elections are national first and global interests a distant second. Stijn van Kessel, a comparative politics professor at Queen Mary University of London, argued that far-right figures often celebrate each other’s victories to appear part of a global movement. However, these alliances can deteriorate quickly when national interests conflict or when a foreign partner becomes unpopular domestically.
Van Kessel cited the recent tension between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as an example. Their relationship strained after Italy refused to allow U.S. aircraft to use a NATO airbase for operations in Iran. Trump later claimed Meloni begged him for a photo at the G7 summit, a statement she denied.
Despite recent losses, right-wing movements maintain strength in several countries. Marine Le Pen is currently the frontrunner to succeed President Emmanuel Macron in France, according to Politico polls. In Germany, the Alternative fur Deutschland party won 20.8 percent of the vote in the February 2025 federal election, becoming the largest opposition party. Javier Milei leads Argentina, and Abelardo de la Espriella was elected president in Colombia on a far-right platform.
Mudde observed that far-right leaders often distance themselves from Trump when his popularity declines. Trump’s approval ratings remain near a record low in the United States, driven by issues such as the Iran war and soaring energy prices. David Barker, a government professor at American University, stated that voters give frustrated electorates a chance but move on when experiments fail. At this point, Trump undermines his allies’ ability to maintain support.
Source: CNBC
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