“We swear to lay down our lives for the fatherland!”: Bolsonaro as influencer and agent of political polarization

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze how the former president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has become an agent of political polarization through his role as a political influencer. Thus, it carried out a qualitative analysis of ten Lives posted on his official Instagram account (@jairmessiasbolsonaro) in the months leading up to the general elections, specifically between February and May 2022. The research results reveal that the former president used elements of digital populism and took advantage of disintermediated discourse. On the one hand, the influencer defended the concepts of fatherland, family, and God; on the other, he attacked the opposition and the press while generating disinformation and political polarization.