Nothing to See! Networks Ignore Hijinks in Results of Brazil’s Presidential Election
26th October 2026
On Monday morning, the “Big Three” of ABC, CBS, and NBC each dedicated a news brief on their lead morning shows to the results of the Brazilian presidential election, with far-left incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeating Senator Flávio Bolsonaro by a razor-thin margin. The networks, though, framed it as Lulu “soundly defeating” Bolsonaro in a “clear” victory.
In reality, though, there was a litany of issues with the election, including a ruling by a justice on the Supreme Court — who also happens to be a former lawyer for Lula — that demanded polls reopen for two hours past closing time in pro-Lula precincts.
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The broadcast networks made vague allusions to the vote count, but only in the context of chiding Bolsonaro for not immediately accepting the outcome.
Starting with the rancorous corporate liberals at Disney-owned ABC and Good Morning America, weekday newsreader and weekend co-host Will Reeve boasted of “the surprise results of the presidential election in Brazil” with Lula “winning an historic fourth term, soundly defeating right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.”