Global votes defy Trump's backing
Recent results in Brazil, Serbia, and Israel show limited impact of the U.S. president's foreign endorsements on local electoral outcomes.
By Jasmine Carter ·
International voters have rejected candidates endorsed by President Donald Trump in recent contests across South America, Europe, and the Middle East. The outcomes suggest a gap between the president's domestic political power and his ability to shape foreign ballots.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured reelection on Sunday by defeating Flávio Bolsonaro. Flávio Bolsonaro, who ran alongside Trump, lost his bid to keep his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, in the political spotlight. The result marks a clear divergence from the Trump-aligned path in a major G20 economy.
In Serbia, a student-led movement removed Aleksandar Vucic from power last weekend. Vucic, who served as prime minister from 2014 to 2017 and as president from 2017, had built ties with Trump and his inner circle. During his concession speech, Vucic attributed the defeat to a revolution supported by European countries and the American deep state, which he said opposes the U.S. president.
Hungary’s Viktor Orban also lost his grip on power earlier this year after 16 years in office. Orban’s defeat followed a two-day visit by Vice President JD Vance, who publicly supported the Hungarian leader. Meanwhile, in Israel, the Associated Press reported that Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party appears to have lost its parliamentary majority in the October 27 election. Trump had endorsed Netanyahu for reelection in that race.
Experts note that national interests typically outweigh global alliances in local elections. Cas Mudde, a professor of international affairs at the University of Georgia, stated that elections are primarily national affairs, with regional or global factors playing a distant secondary role.
Stijn van Kessel, a professor of comparative politics at Queen Mary University of London, questioned whether Trump ever exerted strong influence over far-right actors abroad. He observed that these parties often celebrate shared victories to project a global movement, but relationships can sour when national interests collide. Van Kessel cited the recent tension between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which arose after Italy refused to allow U.S. aircraft to use a NATO airbase for the war in Iran.
Far-right movements remain active in other regions. In Argentina, Trump ally Javier Milei leads the country, while Colombia’s Abelardo de la Espriella won the presidency on a far-right platform. In Germany, the Alternative for Germany party won 20.8% of the vote in the February 2025 federal election, becoming the largest opposition group. In France, Marine Le Pen leads polls for the upcoming presidential election. David Barker, a professor of government at American University, noted that voters may support these figures during economic frustration but move on when experiments fail, adding that Trump currently undermines his allies' ability to maintain domestic support.
