Political News Roundup: Trump Escalates Michigan Race as Lula Wins Brazil

Reporting window: October 25, 2026, 8:03 a.m. through October 26, 2026, 8:03 a.m. Eastern. As of: 8:03 a.m. Eastern on October 26, 2026.

President Donald Trump escalated his intervention in Michigan’s closely divided Senate race Sunday while predicting that the U.S.-Canada tariff dispute would soon be settled. Abroad, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a fourth nonconsecutive term, although Flávio Bolsonaro rejected the result. A student-backed movement ended Aleksandar Vučić’s long dominance in Serbia, and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returned home after nearly a year abroad.

Trump invokes 9/11 in Michigan Senate campaign

At a Republican rally in Port Huron, Trump compared opposition to Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed with the actions of passengers who resisted the hijackers of United Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. He called El-Sayed a jihadist and asserted that he belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood.

El-Sayed, who was born in Michigan, denies any affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood. Republican nominee Mike Rogers has alleged such ties but has not presented evidence establishing them. Rogers told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he had never called El-Sayed a terrorist and did not agree that his opponent was one, according to Reuters.

The contest carries national importance because Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control. El-Sayed would become the first Muslim elected to the Senate if he wins. Trump’s statements were campaign attacks, not verified descriptions of El-Sayed or his affiliations.

El-Sayed answered at a separate event in Grand Rapids. He said questioning his loyalty was shameful and accused Trump of hypocrisy because of financial ties involving Saudi Arabia and Qatar. His remarks were also political arguments. The election will determine which message persuades Michigan voters.

Trump predicts Canada trade agreement without details

Trump also predicted that the trade dispute with Canada would be settled “pretty soon.” He gave no terms, timetable or description of a negotiated framework. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office did not immediately respond to the statement.

The location gave the claim added weight. Port Huron sits along the Canadian border, and Michigan’s auto economy has absorbed costs and uncertainty from the tariff conflict. Rogers praised tariffs for encouraging some manufacturing investments but said their effect on the automobile industry worried him.

Trump said Canada was willing to offer major concessions. That remained an assertion by the president rather than a confirmed agreement. Until both governments announce terms or publish documents, the prospect of a settlement should be treated as unresolved.

Lula wins Brazil runoff; Bolsonaro seeks annulment

Brazil’s electoral court declared Lula the winner of Sunday’s presidential runoff with 51.8 percent of the vote. Conservative Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro received 48.2 percent. Lula’s margin exceeded 4 million votes, and the result gives the 80-year-old leader an unprecedented fourth nonconsecutive term.

Bolsonaro refused to concede and said he would seek to annul the election. He objected to a court decision extending voting by two hours because of severe weather and transportation problems. Election officials said the extension did not change the result. Legal experts quoted by The Associated Press said his challenge appeared to lack sufficient grounds.

The refusal creates uncertainty, but it does not erase the certified count. Lula is scheduled to begin his new term on January 5, 2027. He said he would govern all Brazilians and defend national sovereignty.

The result also carries consequences for Washington. Bolsonaro aligned himself with Trump, while Lula has defended Brazil’s independent foreign policy, its BRICS membership and commercial relationship with China. Still, Lula will face a conservative Congress, public concern over crime and living costs, and pressure to improve the economy.

Student movement ends Vučić’s long rule in Serbia

In Serbia, Vučić conceded defeat to a student-backed electoral movement after preliminary results gave the Student List between 135 and 140 seats in the 250-member parliament. His Serbian Progressive Party was projected to win about 105 seats.

Vučić has dominated Serbian politics as prime minister or president since 2014. He called the snap election after nearly two years of student-led protests that began following the deaths of 16 people in the 2024 collapse of a railway-station canopy in Novi Sad.

Protesters blamed corruption and weakening democratic institutions for the disaster and the government’s response. Vučić and his party denied accusations of repression, corruption and spying on opponents. He also alleged that foreign interests funded the students, a claim the movement rejected.

The concession confirms a transfer of electoral power, but the new government’s policies remain uncertain. Reuters noted that little is known about how the student candidates will govern. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated the movement and offered cooperation on Serbia’s path toward the European Union.

Machado returns to Venezuela amid U.S. policy questions

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returned home Sunday after nearly a year abroad. Tens of thousands of supporters greeted her as she traveled toward Caracas, according to Reuters.

Four people familiar with her movements told Reuters that Machado flew privately from Panama to Colombia and crossed into Venezuela overland. One source said U.S. security contractors guarded her and that Washington warned Venezuelan authorities not to interfere. Those operational details rely on anonymous sources and were not independently confirmed in public government statements.

Her return may revive Venezuela’s fragmented opposition. However, it also exposes uncertainty in U.S. policy. Trump has continued signaling support for interim President Delcy Rodríguez, while Machado’s repeated failed attempts to return had strained her relationship with the administration.

What to watch next

Michigan voters will decide whether Trump’s rhetoric helps Rogers or mobilizes support for El-Sayed. Canada and the United States must show whether tariff negotiations have produced an actual agreement. Brazil’s courts will address Bolsonaro’s challenge, Serbia must form a government from an inexperienced movement, and Machado must convert a dramatic homecoming into durable political organization.