Key members of the global far right have celebrated Donald Trump’s US election win, with tributes to the former president rolling in from Rio de Janeiro to Budapest.
The Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán – who had vowed to toast a Trump win with “several bottles of champagne” – hailed what he called “a much-needed victory for the world!”
Argentina’s libertarian president, Javier Milei – a wild-haired former television celebrity who is often compared to Trump – saluted his ally’s “formidable electoral victory”. He wrote on X: “Now, Make America Great Again. You know that you can count on Argentina to carry out your task.”
The former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro claimed Trump’s victory represented “the triumph of the people’s will over the arrogant designs of an elite who disdain our values, beliefs, and traditions”.
“This triumph is historic … Its impact will resonate across the globe … empowering the rise of the right and conservative movements in countless other nations,” added Bolsonaro, who hopes Trump’s return to the White House will revive his own political fortunes despite the fact that he is banned from seeking office.
In a second jubilant message, Bolsonaro quoted the Book of Psalms: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
El Salvador’s authoritarian president, Nayib Bukele, also offered words of praise, writing: “May God bless and guide you.”
Across the Atlantic, far-right leaders exalted in the success of their movement’s trailblazer. “It is time for patriots. It is time for freedom,” Santiago Abascal, the leader of Spain’s far-right party Vox, wrote on social media.
André Ventura, the leader of the Portuguese far-right party Chega (Enough), celebrated what he called Trump’s trouncing of the mainstream media and “woke globalism”. He wrote on X: “America has changed today and has turned to the right. Europe must do the same.”
Italy’s far-right prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, tweeted: “Good job, Mr President.”Her deputy Matteo Salvini rejoiced at what he called “a historic day”. The leader of Italy’s far-right League party tweeted: “Common sense, passion, and hope WIN in the US!”
Far-right figures such as Bolsonaro – who governed Brazil from 2019 until 2022, when he lost power to the leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – were quick to portray Trump’s comeback as a sign of their movement’s power and ascendancy.
“Donald Trump returns to the presidency in the US. In Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro will be back in 2026,” Bolsonaro’s politician son, Eduardo, who was at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida to watch the vote count, claimed on Instagram.
For now, a Bolsonaro comeback remains unlikely. Unlike Trump, the Brazilian populist has been punished for his anti-democratic behaviour. Last year he was banned from standing for election until 2030 for spreading disinformation about Brazil’s electronic voting system during the 2022 election.
Federal police are reportedly close to concluding an investigation into an alleged coup plot believed to have played out near the end of Bolsonaro’s four-year presidency, before the 8 January 2023 riots in Brasília – Brazil’s answer to the 6 January attack on the Capitol. In the coming weeks Bolsonaro is expected to be formally charged alongside several powerful military figures, including the former head of the navy.
Thomas Traumann, a Rio-based political analyst, said he saw “zero” chance that Trump’s renaissance would lead to Bolsonaro’s political rehabilitation before Brazil’s next presidential election, although it was not unthinkable after that.
But he said the result was excellent news for rightwing leaders and opposition politicians across Latin America who had long considered the US a role model. “They are going to be beating their drums for months,” Traumann said.
Tom Phillips is the Guardian's Latin America correspondent
Additional reporting by Sam Jones in Madrid and Angela Giuffrida in Rome
