U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro have a lot in common: Both were elected on anti-establishment platforms meant to disrupt sclerotic political systems; both promote nationalist outlooks; both sought to downplay the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic. And now, both are members of the burgeoning group of world leaders stricken by the virus. Although it is too early to say anything definitive about the political consequences for Trump—especially so close to a historic election—Bolsonaro, who caught the virus in early July, has emerged from the ordeal not only unscathed, but also politically empowered. It is worth considering whether his post-coronavirus renewal holds any clues for Trump’s future.
With a few caveats, comparisons between the United States and Brazil are quite illustrative. The countries are comparable in size and share similar political systems. They are the two largest countries by population in the Western Hemisphere. And Brazil’s 1988 constitution, which helped to restore democracy after two decades of brutal military rule, found inspiration in the U.S. Constitution and the federal republic it created. On numerous occasions, Bolsonaro has noted the resemblances between Brazil and the United States, from which he draws inspiration, and has invited personal comparisons to Trump by enthusiastically embracing the moniker “Trump of the Tropics.”
