US President Donald Trump has weighed in on the conviction of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, drawing parallels between her case and his own experiences with law enforcement. The American president has condemned Le Pen’s disqualification from running for public office as an example of “far-right persecution,” ignoring evidence of embezzlement charges against her.
Le Pen was convicted of helping orchestrate a system to divert taxpayer money to offset financial difficulties of her National Rally party in France over several years. The Paris Court of Appeal sentenced Le Pen to four years in prison, with two suspended, and the other two to be served under house arrest.
Trump compared Le Pen’s treatment to his own experiences, stating that he was “silenced” by a group of “Lunatics and Losers.” However, courts had followed laws passed by Le Pen over 15 years ago, which hardened positions on cases involving prominent politicians.
The French public appears divided on the issue, with an opinion poll finding that 64% of people support court-imposed bans on convicted politicians from running for office. A separate poll showed that 49% believe Le Pen should be allowed to run for president.
Critics argue that Trump’s intervention has shifted attention away from Le Pen’s actual actions and onto the debate over whether democracy is being undermined by the law. They point out that French courts have taken a firmer stance on cases involving prominent politicians, including former president Nicolas Sarkozy.
As Le Pen prepares to speak at a National Rally demonstration in Paris, her conviction has sparked intense debate about the relationship between politics and the rule of law.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/world/europe/trump-marine-le-pen-conviction.html