US President Donald Trump has demanded France "free" Marine Le Pen after she was convicted of embezzling millions of euros from the European Parliament.
Trump labelled the verdict a "witch hunt" and compared it to his own legal battles.
"The Witch Hunt against Marine Le Pen is another example of European Leftists using Lawfare to silence Free Speech, and censor their Political Opponent," Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.
"It is the same 'playbook' that was used against me by a group of Lunatics and Losers," he added.
Le Pen was convicted of embezzling millions of euros from the European Parliament
Reuters
Trump waited until late Thursday to take up Le Pen's cause, five days after her conviction.
Le Pen, 56, was sentenced to four years in prison, two of them suspended, and issued a five-year ban on running for office, effective immediately.
The ruling would preclude her from France's 2027 presidential election, which she had been tipped to win, unless she can get the conviction overturned on appeal.
The court found Le Pen and two dozen co-defendants had used the European Parliament as a "cash cow".
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Trump waited until late Thursday to take up Le Pen's cause, five days after her conviction
Reuters
They diverted nearly $5 million in parliamentary funds over an 11-year period when her party's coffers were precariously low.
The judge said the court has to "ensure that elected officials, like any citizen, do not benefit from any favourable treatment".
Trump claimed in his social media post that he doesn't know Le Pen personally but appreciates "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," he wrote.
Trump dismissed the case as a "bookkeeping error" despite the court finding that millions were embezzled.
"It is all so bad for France, and the Great French People, no matter what side they are on. FREE MARINE LE PEN!" Trump demanded.
The National Rally leader - along with eight other MEPs - were found guilty of using funds to pay off their party staff
REUTERSHis megadonor and government cost-cutting adviser Elon Musk shared the president's post on X and expressed his agreement.
France is bracing for potential unrest as Le Pen's National Rally (RN) party has called for a "peaceful" demonstration near Les Invalides, site of Napoleon's tomb, on Sunday.
Jordan Bardella, Le Pen's right-hand man, denied the party was seeking a repeat of the "storming of the Capitol" by organising the protest.
Opponents have accused RN of employing "Trump-style" tactics to question the rule of law.
The opposition hard-Left are organising a rival demonstration in Paris' Place de la République on the same day.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou has called for a "spirit of responsibility" ahead of the protests.
Paris police prefect Laurent Nuñez said security forces would remain "extremely vigilant".
