Is Trump trying to influence foreign elections? | BBC News

The Trump administration is embroiled in a diplomatic standoff after Brazilian President Lula da Silva accused the US of sending officials to “meddle in Brazil's elections”, an allegation the US called, "baseless".

Throughout its history, the US has been accused of trying to influence political events outside its borders – from offering subtle incentives for its preferred political outcome to secretly sponsoring coups against foreign governments.

In recent years, President Trump has pursued a more overt strategy, publicly endorsing candidates who align with his politics. So are we seeing a new blueprint for US foreign policy?

We speak to BBC Brazil correspondent Leandro Prazeres about the US-Brazil fallout.

We also hear from Politico correspondent Nahal Toosi about the long history of US interference in foreign elections, and how the Trump administration compares.

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0:00 Is the US trying to interfere in Brazil's election? 2:28 What's at stake in Brazil's election? 4:03 What does the US say about the allegations? 6:10 Would a Trump endorsement sway Brazilian voters? 7:51 Is this part of Trump's wider foreign policy? 10:11 Is the US using money to influence elections? 10:40 Why are countries pushing back against the US? 14:04 How the US has interfered in elections before 16:56 How the US helped defeat a dictator in Serbia 19:14 Is Trump's approach different from previous presidents? 20:24 Why US diplomats are wary of election interference 22:07 The long-term consequences of US intervention