 "French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been convicted of embezzlement. File image/ Reuters")
US President Donald Trump reacted to far-right French leader Marine Le Pen’s conviction and ban from running in the election, saying on Monday that Le Pen’s conviction and exclusion from the 2027 French election is a “very big deal” and that he “knows all about it.”
A French court has banned far-right leader Marine Le Pen from running for public office for five years after finding her guilty of embezzling European Parliament funds. This ruling likely prevents her from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
Reacting to the verdict, US President Donald Trump called it “a very big deal.” Speaking at a White House event on ticket reselling, Trump said, “I know all about it, and many thought she wouldn’t be convicted.”
“She was banned for five years, and she was the top candidate,” Trump said about Le Pen.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the US was aware of reports about Le Pen’s sentencing but declined to comment specifically on her case.
She further stated that excluding people from politics is troubling. While discussing Le Pen’s conviction, she also referred to Trump’s trials and convictions in multiple legal proceedings against him, calling it “aggressive and corrupt lawfare” against Donald Trump in the US.
Bruce also questioned a reporter’s description of Le Pen as “far-right,” saying, “I don’t know if that’s meant to be derogatory.”
Marine Le Pen led the far-right National Rally (RN) party from 2011 to 2021. She has been a prominent figure in French politics, known for her nationalist and anti-immigration positions.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsLe Pen’s conviction of embezzling EU funds
Le Pen was convicted of embezzling European Union funds and sentenced to four years in prison, with two years suspended. Additionally, she received a €100,000 fine and a five-year ban from holding public office, effectively disqualifying her from the 2027 presidential election.
Political decision
Le Pen has announced her intention to appeal the conviction, describing the ruling as a “political decision” aimed at deliberately blocking her presidential aspirations.