In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News, Brazil’s far-right president Jair Bolsonaro has attempted to justify his tweeting of an explicit video and claimed he cannot be racist because a relative is a “known as a big black man”.

The 63-year-old earlier this month shared on social media a sexually explicit clip - reportedly filmed at Sao Paulo’s annual street festival - in which a man is seeing urinating on another person. He later tweeted: “What is a golden shower?”

The move was an attempt to discredit carnival-goers, many of whom protested Mr Bolsonaro’s anti-LGBTQ policies and a money laundering scandal involving the president and his personal driver.

Mr Bolsonaro, who was set to meet Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, told Fox News host Shannon Bream on Monday the video was already on the internet and “we just shared it to try to showcase how way off track carnival is going in Brazil”.

“Also one of the things that got me elected president was my sense of respect to families, principles, traditions, and customs, and of course respect towards our culture as well as our religion,” he said through a translator.

Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Show all 20 1 /20 Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro waves as he drives past before his swear-in ceremony Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Supporters wait in front of the Planalto Palace, where he will take office EPA Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Jair Bolsonaro gestures at the Congress before he is sworn AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Supporters take pictures as Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro drives past Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Flanked by first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro waves to the crowd, as he rides in an open car after his swearing-in ceremony AP Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Jair Bolsonaro reacts as he drives past Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro reacts as he drives past before his swear-in ceremony, in Brasilia, Brazil January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes RICARDO MORAES Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration The National Congress before Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro is sworn in AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Jair Bolsonaro gestures at the Congress AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro waves as he drives past before his swear-in ceremony, in Brasilia, Brazil January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes RICARDO MORAES Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Supporters of Brazil's President Elect Jair Bolsonaro are cooled down with a water hose by firefighters, prior Bolsonaro's inauguration, in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday Jan. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Silvia Izquierdo AP Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration The presidential convoy, led by Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro (L) and his wife Michelle Bolsonaro in a Rolls Royce, heads to the National Congress for his swearing-in ceremony, in Brasilia on January 1, 2019. - Bolsonaro takes office with promises to radically change the path taken by Latin America's biggest country by trashing decades of centre-left policies. (Photo by Carl DE SOUZA / AFP)CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images CARL DE SOUZA AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration epa07257163 Sympathizers of Brazilian President-elect, Jair Bolsonaro, walk past a giant figure of the future president before the beginning of the inauguration ceremony, in Brasilia, Brazil, 01 January 2019. A far-right president leads the biggest Latin America democracy for first time since the end of military rule (1964-1985). Bolsonaro defeated candidate Fernando Haddad in the runoff, held in October 2018, receiving 55 percent of the vote. EPA/Fernando Bizerra Jr Fernando Bizerra Jr EPA Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro (L) gestures next to his wife Michelle Bolsonaro as the presidential convoy heads to the National Congress for his swearing-in ceremony, in Brasilia on January 1, 2019. - Bolsonaro takes office with promises to radically change the path taken by Latin America's biggest country by trashing decades of centre-left policies. (Photo by Carl DE SOUZA / AFP)CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images CARL DE SOUZA AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Firefighters spray water at supporters of Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro to cool them down, while they gather to wait for his inauguration ceremony at "Tres Poderes" square in front of the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, on January 01, 2019. - Brazil entered a new chapter in its history on Tuesday, embracing a far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, whose determination to break with decades of centrist rule has raised both hopes and fears. (Photo by EVARISTO SA / AFP)EVARISTO SA/AFP/Getty Images EVARISTO SA AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Supporters take pictures as Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro drives past before his swear-in ceremony, in Brasilia, Brazil January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes RICARDO MORAES Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Brazil's new President Jair Bolsonaro and his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, arrive at Brazil's National Congress, in Brasilia, Brazil January 1, 2019. REUTERS/Pilar Olivares PILAR OLIVARES Reuters Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Supporters of Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro, gather at the "Tres Poderes" square in front of the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, before his inauguration ceremony on January 01, 2019. - Brazil entered a new chapter in its history on Tuesday, embracing a far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, whose determination to break with decades of centrist rule has raised both hopes and fears. (Photo by EVARISTO SA / AFP)EVARISTO SA/AFP/Getty Images EVARISTO SA AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Supporters of Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro, gather to wait for his inauguration ceremony at "Tres Poderes" square in front of the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, on January 01, 2019. - Brazil entered a new chapter in its history on Tuesday, embracing a far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, whose determination to break with decades of centrist rule has raised both hopes and fears. (Photo by EVARISTO SA / AFP)EVARISTO SA/AFP/Getty Images EVARISTO SA AFP/Getty Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil's far-right leader inauguration Jair Bolsonaro addresses Congress, during his swearing-in ceremony as Brazil's new president, in Brasilia on January 1, 2019. - Bolsonaro takes office with promises to radically change the path taken by Latin America's biggest country by trashing decades of centre-left policies. 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Brazilians at the time were quick to condemn Mr Bolsonaro’s tweet as a gross misrepresentation of the festival, which took place from 28 February to 5 March.

“I spent an entire carnival seeing so many beautiful things,” TV presenter Astrid Fontenelle wrote in response to Mr Bolsonaro’s tweet. “Then I come across THAT on twitter from the president of the republic that must be followed by MANY children.”

Mr Bolsonaro, dubbed the “Trump of the Tropics”, also spoke out in defence of Mr Trump’s proposed border wall across the US-Mexico border.

“The vast majority of potential immigrants do not have good intentions or do not intend to do the best or do good to the US people,” Mr Bolsonaro said, without providing evidence.

“I would very much like the US people to uphold the current immigration policy because to a large extent we owe our democracy in the southern hemisphere to the United States.”

Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro posts video of 'man having golden shower' in attempt to discredit Carnival

He echoed his US counterpart when he dubbed Brazil’s mainstream media “fake news” and claimed it is “virtually dominated by the left-wing”.

Responding to allegations he discriminates against minorities and women, he said: “I have nothing against homosexuals or women, I am not a xenophobe but I want to have my house in order.”

He added: “I cannot have anything against black people, my father-in-law is known as a big black man.”

Mr Bolsonaro also addressed suggestions he had knowledge of last year’s assassination of Marielle Franco, a gay Rio De Janeiro councilwoman who was shot dead after leaving a work event.

Two former police officers have been charged with the killing, but who ordered the slaying and why remains unanswered.

“I only learned about Marielle Franco after she was killed,” Mr Bolsonaro said. “She was a councilwoman and I never - I have never ever heard anything about her life.