President Donald Trump criticized the punitive action taken against French politician Marine Le Pen this week, calling it a “witch hunt” and an example of aggressive left-wing weaponization of justice to silence 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,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “It is the same ‘playbook’ that was used against me by a group of Lunatics and Losers, like Norm Eisen, Andrew Weissmann, and Lisa Monaco. They spent the last nine years thinking of nothing else, and they FAILED, because the People of the United States realized that they were only Corrupt Lawyers and Politicians.”
Le Pen has been a presidential candidate in France three times, in 2012, 2017, and 2022. She is the former president of the right-wing National Rally party and a member of the French National Assembly.
A court in Paris found her guilty of embezzlement charges on Monday. Due to her conviction and subsequent sentencing, Le Pen is prevented from running for president for the next five years, including the country’s next presidential election in 2027.
Trump championed Le Pen’s work ethic and called her wrongdoing a “minor charge” and “bookkeeping error.”
“I don’t know Marine Le Pen, but do appreciate how hard she worked for so many years,” Trump said. “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.”
FRANCE DID TO LE PEN WHAT DEMOCRATS TRIED TO DO TO TRUMP
Le Pen was sentenced to four years in prison and fined 100,000 euros. However, a Paris court reduced her sentence to two years of house arrest and wearing an ankle monitor, according to multiple reports. Her party was also fined 2 million euros for its role in the embezzling. Le Pen’s attorney has said she will file an appeal.
“It is all so bad for France, and the Great French People, no matter what side they are on,” Trump added. “FREE MARINE LE PEN!”
