Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro wrestles with influencer

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro wrestles with influencer
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro got into a wrestling match with social media influencer Wilker Leão outside his home in Brasilia, the country's capital
Bolsonaro was chatting with his supporters when Leão used his cellphone to record himself calling the president 'coward' and 'bum'
The far-right leader stepped from his car, grabbing Leão by the shirt and arm while trying to take his phone away
They then had a conversation for several minutes about legislative proposals before Bolsonaro was driven away
This is the shocking moment Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro got tangled up with a social media influencer and tried to snatch his cellphone away on Thursday.

The far-right leader was speaking to supporters and posing for selfies outside Palácio da Alvorada, the presidential residence in the capital city of Brasilia, when Wilker Leão pushed his way through the crowd and confronted him.
Leão used his phone to film himself, repeatedly shouting at the president, calling him a 'coward,' 'bum' and the 'darling' of a pork-barrel faction in Congress.
Bolsonaro initially entered his car, but then reemerged and grabbed Leão's shirt and forearm while reaching for his phone.

Security guards pulled Leão, a former Army solider away.
The incident underscored possible challenges for the sometimes quick-tempered leader to stay disciplined on the campaign trail.

The presidential campaign that kicked off Tuesday is expected to be an uphill battle for Bolsonaro, who trails former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in all polls ahead of the October 2 first round vote.

A journalist from news website G1 published a video of Leão's comments and the subsequent altercation in which a security guard grabbed the social media figure and tossed him to the ground.

'Don't film this, don't film this,' Bolsonaro told his supporters as Leão was held by presidential security. 'It is his right (to protest), but he was being impolite.'
Four minutes later, security allowed Leão to return to the scene and chat with Bolsonaro.

'You can talk to me as much as you want,' Bolsonaro told Leão. The two spoke for five minutes about plea bargaining, the budget, tax reform and weapon possession until the president decided to go back to his car and leave.

Bolsonaro and Leão had spoken in the past, including in April when the influencer identified himself as a corporal in the Army reserve.
Leão questioned Bolsonaro about comments he had made in which he said the work of Army corporals and soldiers was limited to cleaning.

'Stop, stop, stop... Why are you angry?' Bolsonaro told him. 'Why did you stay eight years [in the Army] and now you're complaining?'

The YouTuber replied: 'I am defending corporals and soldiers who, for example, carry out the armed security of (president), but outside the door they do not have a gun.'

Bolsonaro has had earlier confrontations, often with the press.

In 2020, he told a journalist, 'I want to punch you in the mouth' and once suggested he'd like to shoot supporters of the rival Workers' Party.