Brazil shows what can happen after a right-wing candidate is attacked

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Support our nonprofit journalism]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     July 16, 2024 [Comparisons between]( the former president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, and former President Trump are nothing new. Both are [beloved]( by the American far right; both [lost]( their reelection bids; and both have been the subjects of investigations over whether they [incited]( insurrections as part of efforts to [overturn the results]( of the elections they lost. And now, [after the attempted assassination of Trump](, another—albeit gruesome—point of comparison has emerged between the two political leaders: Both were victims of what could have been deadly attacks. Bolsonaro was stabbed on the campaign trail in 2018 and went on to win the presidency. My colleague Isabela Dias [has a fascinating piece out today]( that examines the role that attack played in the Brazilian election of 2018 and what it may be able to teach us about how this weekend's tragedy—which also killed a rallygoer and critically injured two others—could affect the November election. As Isabela [writes](: The impact of the assassination attempt against Trump on the presidential race remains to be seen. But there could be hints in what happened with Bolsonaro. Some political analysts in Brazil believe that staying away from the public stage during recovery ultimately helped the far-right Brazilian candidate insulate himself from fiercer criticism and potential debate confrontations. A voter intention [poll]( by the Economist from that time shows a rise in support for Bolsonaro and a decline for the opponent Fernando Haddad, from the Worker's Party, after September. Some say Saturday’s shooting could have a similar effect on Trump. “All Brazilians instantly thought of the knife attack that propelled Bolsonaro to victory in 2018,” historian Thiago Krause said. “This is going to give Trump a major boost and it will further radicalize his base.” Of course, whether that proves true in our election remains to be seen. In the meantime, trust that we'll continue holding the candidates accountable—and [make sure to read Isabela's full piece](, which also covers how some right-wing Brazilians boosted [Republicans' conspiracy theories]( about Saturday's shooting. —Julianne McShane Advertisement [Mother Jones House Ad]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [What Happens When a Right-Wing Presidential Candidate Is Attacked?]( In 2018, Brazilian presidential frontrunner Jair Bolsonaro was stabbed. The aftermath can tell us about how the attempted assassination of Donald Trump will change this year's election. BY ISABELA DIAS MOTHER JONES MEMBERSHIP UPDATE   GREAT JOURNALISM, SLOW FUNDRAISING Our team has been on fire lately—publishing sweeping, [one-of-a-kind]( investigations, ambitious, [groundbreaking]( projects, and even [releasing]( “the holy shit documentary of the year.” And that’s on top of [protecting free and fair elections]( and [standing up]( to bullies and BS when others in the media don’t. Yet, we just came up pretty short on our fundraising campaign. So even though we’re done screaming about [the donations we need]( for a while, if you value the journalism we do but haven’t pitched in recently, please [consider doing so now](—we urgently need a lot of help to make up for lost ground. And of course, THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who has pitched in. It means the world to us. [Donate]( [Trending] [Senator Bob Menendez convicted on all counts in bribery trial]( BY ALEX NGUYEN   [Anti-abortion firebrands are celebrating the Trump-Vance ticket]( BY JULIANNE MCSHANE   [The Republican National Convention is all about the man who isn't there]( BY TIM MURPHY   [Tucker Carlson warned an RNC crowd of a "spiritual battle"]( BY KIERA BUTLER Advertisement [Mother Jones House Ad]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [This woman drove straight to Milwaukee after watching the Trump shooting]( “I’m going to the RNC.” BY JAMES WEST Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755