US President Donald Trump sparked a fresh controversy after a Trump India-Brazil gaffe on Truth Social. While commenting on Brazil’s presidential election, Trump mistakenly referred to it as India’s presidential election and claimed that 125 million people had voted.
Trump made the remark while criticising the US electoral system and comparing the speed of vote counting in other countries with elections in American cities and states.
Trump Confuses Brazil With India
In his post, Trump claimed that “125 million” people had voted in the first round of India’s presidential election and that the results were announced shortly after polling closed.
The claim was incorrect on multiple levels. The election being discussed was actually Brazil’s presidential election.
Brazil held its first-round presidential vote, with right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro set to face leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a runoff scheduled for October 25.
Trump’s reference to an Indian presidential election was also factually inaccurate because India does not elect its President through a direct nationwide popular vote.
The Indian President is elected by an electoral college comprising elected representatives, using proportional representation through the single transferable vote system.
Social Media Quickly Reacts
Trump’s post soon attracted mockery online, with users highlighting both the India-Brazil mix-up and the incorrect description of India’s presidential election process.
Some users joked about whether the US President was getting enough sleep, while others pointed out that India has a parliamentary system rather than a presidential form of government.
The large number cited by Trump also became a talking point, given that India’s presidential election is not conducted through direct voting by the country's entire population.
Trump Has Made Similar Gaffes Before
The latest incident adds to a series of geographical and country-name mix-ups involving Trump.
In July, he referred to Iran as the “Islamic Republic of Japan” while discussing US military operations and tensions with Tehran during a NATO summit.
Earlier this year, Trump also repeatedly referred to Greenland as Iceland during an address at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The latest Trump India-Brazil gaffe has once again placed his public statements under scrutiny, with the mix-up quickly becoming a talking point across social media.
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