Did Flávio Bolsonaro cry after losing the election?
Does a viral video show Flávio Bolsonaro crying after losing Brazil's presidential runoff?
False
The video shows Flávio Bolsonaro, but not after an election loss.
The claim that Flávio Bolsonaro is crying after losing the election is false. The video is authentic but was filmed on October 22, 2026, prior to the election results announcement.
GenuineClaims
✓ 2 true · ✕ 1 falseThe video shows Flávio Bolsonaro crying after losing the presidential election in Brazil.12
“O vídeo mostra Flávio Bolsonaro chorando após perder a eleição presidencial no Brasil.”
Independent fact-checking confirms the video was recorded on October 22, 2026, well before any election results were announced on October 25, 2026. This clear mismatch in timing shows the claim is false. The video features Flávio Bolsonaro but it depicts him watching a campaign segment rather than reacting to his supposed electoral loss. Both Lead Stories and Aos Fatos independently verified the information by linking it to timestamps and sources.
The clip was recorded on Oct 22, 2026 and shows Flávio watching the last campaign TV program (not a post-result reaction).123
Fact-checkers traced the original Instagram post and confirmed the video indeed shows Flávio Bolsonaro during an October 22 livestream. This context aligns with the content's religious and campaign-related audio, establishing it as a correct assessment.
The audio in the clip contains the Lord's Prayer and campaign-related remarks (e.g. 'A esperança nos move, a fé nos une').12
The transcript of the video includes religious sentiments and phrases consistent with campaign rhetoric, which were consistently noted by independent fact-checkers. These lines affirm the video's context as being part of a campaign experience rather than a response to electoral defeat.
What was posted
XA Twitter post from Ed Krassenstein claimed to show Flávio Bolsonaro crying after the election results, featuring a video with audio of prayers and campaign phrases.
“Flavio Bolsonaro crying after losing the election in Brazil. This is going to be Trump after the midterms.”
“Flávir Bolsonaro chorando depois de perder a eleição no Brasil. Isso vai ser Trump depois das midterms.” — translated
Who posted it
XAccount check
Estimates from public signals — account age, posting pattern, audience — not a judgement of the person behind the account, and separate from whether this post is true.
What stood out
- Account associated with Ed Krassenstein, a known journalist and political commentator.
- Account reinstated on X (formerly Twitter) in December 2022 after a prior suspension in 2019 for alleged violations, which he denied.
- Account has approximately 1.1 million followers and over 100,000 tweets, indicating significant activity and engagement.
- Account linked to Krassenstein's KrassenCast podcast and his twin brother's account, @Krassenstein.
Signals (3)+
- Posting cadence
- High
- Follower ratio
- 1100000
- Notable news coverage
- Suspended from Twitter in 2019 for alleged violations, reinstated in 2022.; Known for vocal criticism of former President Donald Trump.
Account checked October 27, 2026, 15:14 UTC
The media
Video✓ What is genuine
The video is genuine footage of Flávio Bolsonaro during a campaign event.
The tells
- ●●● Strong signal The video presented dramatic emotional content without supporting context.our visual review
- ●●● Strong signal The caption made an explicit connection between Flávio Bolsonaro's reaction and the election outcome.our visual review
- ●●○ Supporting signal The narrative suggested an immediate emotional response, which felt exaggerated.our visual review
Synthetic-media detector
Detector not consultedSources settled the claim on their own; the detector was not needed.
How we checked the media
- Verified timestamps of the original Instagram post
- Checked the video against an archived livestream from October 22, 2026
- Cross-referenced findings with multiple fact-checkers
Sources
3 sources reviewed- 1Fact Check: Video Of Crying Flávio Bolsonaro PREDATES Election Results Announcement ↗
Lead Stories · leadstories.comPrimary / fact-checkerIFCN; strong on viral/AI mediaEvidence
The footage was recorded on October 22, 2026, and correlates with a livestream.
- 2Vídeo que mostra Flávio chorando não foi gravado após derrota ↗
Aos Fatos · aosfatos.orgUntiereduntiered — treated as signal only, never decisiveEvidence
The original Instagram post details confirm the video was published before results were announced.
- 3Instagram post by Jess Peixoto (archival/downloader copy) ↗
Instagram · instagram.comUntiereduntiered — treated as signal only, never decisiveEvidence
Confirms the timestamp and context of the video.
Further reading
- 1Lead Stories Lead Stories provides a thorough fact-check outlining the video's true context and verifying its origins.
- 2Aos Fatos Aos Fatos offers insights into the timestamps and context of the video, clarifying its misrepresentation.
The full story
The video purportedly showing Flávio Bolsonaro crying after losing the presidential election was actually filmed on October 22, 2026, while he was engaged in campaign material. The false claim circulated widely after the election results were announced on October 25, misattributing his emotional display to defeat rather than its actual informative context centered around his campaign. The descriptions in the video emphasize religious and hopeful sentiments, reflecting the rhetoric commonly used during political campaigns, further misleading viewers about the content's true nature. The significant attention it received aligns with themes frequently found in heated electoral environments, where misinformation can quickly propagate based on emotional narratives, as was evident in this case. Notably, both Lead Stories and Aos Fatos independently investigated, verifying that the footage's timing predated the results announcement.
Kernel of truth
The video features Flávio Bolsonaro, but misrepresents the context surrounding it.
How it was framed
The video is genuine, but the context in which it is presented is misleading—attributing his emotions to an election loss that had not yet occurred.
- Emotional language. The caption invokes emotional imagery and implications regarding Flávio’s state after an election loss.
- Urgency. The narrative implies a time-sensitive reaction to the election results.
Bias
Leans anti-Bolsonaro. The caption frames the clip as a post-defeat emotional reaction and likens it to an expected U.S. figure's response, a partisan framing intended to ridicule the subject rather than neutrally report the origin/context of the footage.
Bias describes how the post frames its message — the slant of the language, selection and emphasis — and is judged separately from whether the claim is true. A true claim can still be framed with a strong slant.
How we checked
1 min 8 s- 1
We performed searches for the original Instagram post by Jess Peixoto to ascertain the video's context.
- 2
We compared the video with an archived livestream from October 22, 2026.
- 3
We reviewed fact-checks from Lead Stories and Aos Fatos for corroboration.
✓ Claim checked✓ Media checked✓ Sources checked
Why 85% confidence
HighOur high confidence is based on independent corroboration from multiple reputable sources confirming the video’s actual recording date and context.
Limits. We could not explore any potential unpublished or non-archived materials that may provide additional context.
Spot it yourself
Spot the fakeLooks suspicious, isn’t proof
- The video features emotional content, which can evoke strong reactions.
- The timing of the post is presented as immediate following a significant event, creating urgency.
- The source which posted the content has a partisan reputation, which raises questions on objectivity.
The actual evidence
- Timestamp evidence shows the video was filmed before election results were available.
- The audio matches campaign-related content and does not address any election loss.
- Multiple reputable fact-checkers verified the original context of the video.
- 1
Verify the timestamps of the media.
Look for original sources or uploads that can confirm the timeline.
- 2
Cross-reference claims with established fact-checkers.
Use trusted fact-checking websites to see if similar claims have been investigated.
- 3
Analyze the emotional tone of the content.
Assess if the emotional appeal aligns with the factual context of the event.
Takeaway
Always verify the context and timestamp of emotional content before believing its implications.
Questions people ask
Why is the claim about Flávio Bolsonaro crying false?+
The claim is false because the video was filmed on October 22, 2026, before any election results were announced, not as a reaction to a loss.
What does the audio in the video contain?+
The audio includes the Lord's Prayer and phrases relevant to the campaign, not any commentary about electoral defeat.
How was the video's authenticity verified?+
The video was independently verified by reputable fact-checkers who matched its content to its posting dates and the original livestream.
Go deeper
- Misinformation
- False or misleading information shared regardless of intent to deceive.
- Fact-checking
- The process of verifying factual statements, typically conducted by independent organizations.
- Timestamp
- The recorded time at which a piece of content was created or shared.
People also search for
For educators+
- How can emotional language affect public perception?
- What steps can individuals take to verify the context of media before sharing?
- Why is it important to consider the source bias when evaluating information?
About this check
- Platform
- X
- Posted by
- @edkrassen
- Posted
- October 26, 2026
- Age when checked
- 1–2 days old when checked
- Where it spread
- Brazil, United States
- Audience
- International audience
- Language
- EN
- Status
- ● Post is live
- Verified
- October 27, 2026, 15:16 UTC
- Published
- October 27, 2026, 15:16 UTC
Reach. 14,958 likes on primary (X syndication, 27 Oct); the earlier Portuguese repost by @pamcosta21 has 22,238 likes; Lead Stories (via Yahoo, 27 Oct) and Newschecker (27 Oct 13:36Z) fact-checks
This verdict was generated with AI from the sources shown. AI can make mistakes — check the sources before relying on it.
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