Former French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has found an ally in US President Donald Trump , who publicly denounced her recent conviction and political ban. Trump took to Truth Social on Friday, writing, "FREE MARINE LE PEN," and dismissing the court’s ruling as a "Witch Hunt of European Leftists ".
Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally (RN) party, was handed a four-year prison sentence—two years of which are suspended—a €100,000 ($108,000) fine, and a five-year ban from holding public office. A Paris court found her guilty of embezzling European Union funds, a ruling that has dramatically shifted the political landscape ahead of France’s 2027 presidential election , where she was considered a front-runner.
Trump further elaborated on his position, stating, "I don’t know Marine Le Pen, but do appreciate how hard she worked for so many years. She suffered losses, but kept on going, and now, just before what would be a Big Victory, they get her on a minor charge that she probably knew nothing about – Sounds like a ‘bookkeeping’ error to me."
Le Pen’s conviction was met with fierce resistance from her and her supporters. She characterized the ruling as a "political decision" and an attack on democracy, claiming in a televised interview that "the rule of law [had been] completely violated." Her lawyer confirmed plans to appeal.
In his post, Trump likened Le Pen’s legal troubles to his own, arguing that European leftists were weaponizing the legal system to suppress their political opponents. "The Witch Hunt against Marine Le Pen is another example of European Leftists using Lawfare to silence Free Speech, and censor their Political Opponent, this time going so far as to put that Opponent in prison," he wrote. However, there is no indication that Le Pen will actually serve time behind bars.
The presiding judge, Bénédicte de Perthuis, emphasized that Le Pen’s actions had inflicted a "serious and lasting attack on the rules of democratic life in Europe, but especially in France."
Elon Musk, a top Trump advisor, also came to Le Pen’s defense earlier in the week, posting on X: "When the radical left can’t win via democratic vote, they abuse the legal system to jail their opponents."
The Trump administration has made a habit of vocally defending far-right politicians in Europe. Recently, it criticized the Romanian constitutional court’s decision to overturn the results of its presidential election, where far-right candidate Calin Georgescu had secured an unexpected victory. The court ruled to re-run the election following reports of Russian interference in Georgescu’s campaign. However, he has been barred from participating in the re-election.
Trump’s Vice President, JD Vance, has also expressed support for right-wing movements in Europe, including Germany’s anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Musk, too, has backed the AfD, urging German voters to support the group in recent elections, which saw the party nearly double its vote share and secure second place behind the center-right Christian Democratic Union.
Trump’s endorsement of Le Pen marks the latest instance of his administration aligning itself with far-right figures across Europe while continuing to push an "America First" foreign policy that challenges traditional US alliances.
Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally (RN) party, was handed a four-year prison sentence—two years of which are suspended—a €100,000 ($108,000) fine, and a five-year ban from holding public office. A Paris court found her guilty of embezzling European Union funds, a ruling that has dramatically shifted the political landscape ahead of France’s 2027 presidential election , where she was considered a front-runner.
Trump further elaborated on his position, stating, "I don’t know Marine Le Pen, but do appreciate how hard she worked for so many years. She suffered losses, but kept on going, and now, just before what would be a Big Victory, they get her on a minor charge that she probably knew nothing about – Sounds like a ‘bookkeeping’ error to me."
Le Pen’s conviction was met with fierce resistance from her and her supporters. She characterized the ruling as a "political decision" and an attack on democracy, claiming in a televised interview that "the rule of law [had been] completely violated." Her lawyer confirmed plans to appeal.
In his post, Trump likened Le Pen’s legal troubles to his own, arguing that European leftists were weaponizing the legal system to suppress their political opponents. "The Witch Hunt against Marine Le Pen is another example of European Leftists using Lawfare to silence Free Speech, and censor their Political Opponent, this time going so far as to put that Opponent in prison," he wrote. However, there is no indication that Le Pen will actually serve time behind bars.
The presiding judge, Bénédicte de Perthuis, emphasized that Le Pen’s actions had inflicted a "serious and lasting attack on the rules of democratic life in Europe, but especially in France."
Elon Musk, a top Trump advisor, also came to Le Pen’s defense earlier in the week, posting on X: "When the radical left can’t win via democratic vote, they abuse the legal system to jail their opponents."
The Trump administration has made a habit of vocally defending far-right politicians in Europe. Recently, it criticized the Romanian constitutional court’s decision to overturn the results of its presidential election, where far-right candidate Calin Georgescu had secured an unexpected victory. The court ruled to re-run the election following reports of Russian interference in Georgescu’s campaign. However, he has been barred from participating in the re-election.
Trump’s Vice President, JD Vance, has also expressed support for right-wing movements in Europe, including Germany’s anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Musk, too, has backed the AfD, urging German voters to support the group in recent elections, which saw the party nearly double its vote share and secure second place behind the center-right Christian Democratic Union.
Trump’s endorsement of Le Pen marks the latest instance of his administration aligning itself with far-right figures across Europe while continuing to push an "America First" foreign policy that challenges traditional US alliances.
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