Trump calls Le Pen France’s ‘conservative voice’ after riots, but holds back on endorsement

US President Donald Trump has described Marine Le Pen as France’s ‘conservative voice’ following widespread riots in the country, while stopping short of formally endorsing the far-right politician ahead of France’s 2027 presidential election. Trump’s remarks came as he continued to use unrest in France to reinforce his domestic political messaging on immigration and left-wing politics ahead of the US midterm elections next month. Asked by an AFP reporter in the Oval Office whether he would endorse Le Pen, Trump said, "Well, I don't know her, I haven't met her, but I thought she was badly treated. It would look like a weaponization to me."

Le Pen, 58, was convicted of graft by a French court in March 2025. The ruling initially barred her from holding public office for five years, but an appeals court decision this year paved the way for her to contest the 2027 presidential election to succeed Emmanuel Macron. Trump has repeatedly accused the US justice system of being politically weaponised against him. He became the first former or sitting US president to be convicted of a crime in the hush-money case involving an adult actress. Referring to Le Pen’s political standing following the unrest, Trump said, "It would look to me like, you know, she was leading. But after this (the riots), she's definitely, she's the conservative voice."

Trump blames immigration for unrest in France

Trump continued to promote his administration’s interpretation of the French riots, which it has largely attributed to mass immigration. Describing the scale of the unrest, he said, “That wasn't a little bit of a riot, that wasn't a little bit of a protest, that was a full on revolution, and it continues.” The president had also addressed the situation during a campaign rally in Kansas on Monday (October 20), delivering a forceful criticism of France’s political and social climate. At the rally, Trump claimed that the country was being ‘conquered, looted, and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists, and communists.’

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Le Pen’s political future and France’s 2027 election

Le Pen remains a prominent figure in France’s nationalist and far-right political movement. The legal proceedings against her had raised questions about her eligibility to run for president in 2027, but the appeals court decision has reopened that possibility. Trump’s comments offer public support for Le Pen’s claim that she was treated unfairly, although he did not commit to endorsing her candidacy.

The remarks also highlight the growing intersection between European political developments and US domestic campaigning, with Trump using events in France to advance his arguments on immigration, public order and political ideology. With France’s next presidential election approaching and the US midterms drawing closer, Trump’s statements are likely to keep attention focused on his relationship with European right-wing figures and his administration’s interpretation of the unrest.