US President Donald Trump appeared to confuse Brazil with India in a post about Sunday’s presidential election in the South American country, claiming that 125 million people had voted in the “first round” of India’s presidential election.
“125 Million People voted today in the first round of India’s Presidential Election,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday. He then used the figure to question the US electoral system, arguing that results in places such as Detroit and Philadelphia could take weeks to “calculate”.
“Voting in America is CORRUPT!!!” Trump wrote, signing off as “President DJT”.
The claim came a day after Brazil held the first round of its presidential election on October 4. The number cited by Trump closely corresponds to the Brazilian vote, rather than any election taking place in India. Brazil recorded more than 125 million valid votes, according to its Superior Electoral Court.
Brazil heads for Lula-Flávio Bolsonaro runoff
Brazil’s election is now headed for a second round between incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro.
With 99.99% of polling stations counted, Flávio Bolsonaro finished first with 47.03% of the valid vote, while Lula secured 45.16%. Flávio received more than 56.1 million votes and Lula more than 53.8 million. Neither crossed the 50% threshold required to win in the first round, sending the contest to a runoff on October 25.
Brazil had nearly 159 million registered voters, with turnout at about 78.9% and abstention at 21.08%. The election also saw 1.84% of votes cast as blank and 2.93% as null.
The result represented a major boost for the Bolsonaro political family. Flávio, 45, is contesting the presidency for the first time and was chosen by his father to carry forward the family’s political project. Several other members and allies of the Bolsonaro family also won congressional or gubernatorial races.
Lula, 80, is seeking a fourth, non-consecutive presidential term. Flávio, meanwhile, has campaigned on bringing change and strengthening Brazil’s relationship with the United States.
India has no nationwide presidential vote
Trump’s reference to an “India’s Presidential Election” is incorrect on another fundamental count: India does not elect its president through a direct nationwide popular vote.
The President of India is chosen by an Electoral College comprising elected members of both Houses of Parliament and elected members of the legislative assemblies of the states, as well as Delhi and Puducherry. The election is conducted through proportional representation using the single transferable vote, with voting by secret ballot.
India’s current President, Droupadi Murmu, was elected in 2022 and took office on July 25 that year. The President serves a five-year term, and the Election Commission schedules the next election within the period specified before the outgoing president’s term expires.
Therefore, there was no Indian presidential election on October 5, 2026, and no nationwide Indian presidential vote involving 125 million voters.
Trump turns Brazilian figure into attack on US voting
Although Trump did not mention Brazil by name in the Truth Social post, the timing and the roughly 125 million votes he cited closely match the figures from Brazil’s election.
Trump contrasted that figure with the US electoral system, saying votes in Detroit, Philadelphia, California and other American cities and states could take weeks to be “calculated”. He then used the comparison to repeat his broader criticism of US elections, declaring that voting in America is “CORRUPT!!!”
The post comes amid heightened political attention in Washington to Brazil’s election. Flávio Bolsonaro is regarded as a Trump ally, while Trump has previously intervened publicly in Brazilian political affairs, including imposing tariffs on Brazil and expressing support for the Bolsonaro camp.
Trump’s relationship with the Bolsonaro family has also drawn attention because former president Jair Bolsonaro, who governed Brazil from 2019 to 2022, remains a major figure in the country’s right-wing movement. Flávio’s first-round performance has now put the Bolsonaro family within reach of returning to Brazil’s presidency.
The October 25 runoff will decide whether Lula secures another non-consecutive term or Flávio Bolsonaro brings the Bolsonaro family back to the presidency.