Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro says he will retire from politics if he is not re-elected in the upcoming October election as polls show he is lagging behind.

“If it is God’s will, I will continue (as President). If not, I will pass the (presidential) sash and retire,” Bolsonaro said Monday night during an interview on a podcast for young evangelical Christians.

The 67-year-old added: “At my age I have nothing left to do here on earth when my journey into politics ends on December 31st,” the final day of his tenure.

It was a change of tone for the far-right incumbent, who had previously said there can only be three outcomes for his re-election bid: “prison, death or victory”.

Bolsonaro, known for angering his base with his harsh rhetoric and disregard for political correctness, has recently adopted a more dovish tone as he seeks to edge left-wing ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s lead in the polls ahead of the vote on Sept Decrease October 2nd.

Bolsonaro also rarely apologized in the interview for some of his more controversial statements, including saying in 2020 that he could not do anything about Brazil’s rising Covid-19 death toll because he was “not a gravedigger”.

In response to a question from evangelical rapper Felipe Vilela, who said he was “sad” at the statement – which came a day after his father-in-law died – Bolsonaro said he had been a “fool.”

“I regret it,” he said in the four-hour marathon interview.

“I’m human, I regret what I said, I wouldn’t say it again. You can see my behavior has changed in a year.”

He said he also regrets telling critics who have urged him to buy Covid-19 vaccines to “get them from your mother”.

However, he defended his claim that the vaccine “could turn you into an alligator,” calling it an “idiom.”

Bolsonaro also fueled new controversy by commenting on Vilela’s skin colour.

“Are you of African descent? You’re a bit dark, aren’t you?” he said.

“Oh wait, it’s a crime to say that. Haven’t you heard people say I’m a racist?”

Vilela later said in a post on Instagram that he did not take offense at the statement, calling it a “joke” by Bolsonaro, “someone who is from another time trying to bridge the gap between us.”

Bolsonaro also urged young people to vote carefully next month in the interview, saying the election would “shape your future” and warning of the recent spate of left-wing victories in Latin America.