"That's a very big deal": Trump criticizes conviction of French right-wing leader Marine Le Pen

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, condemned during a meeting with reporters at the White House the ban that a French court imposed Monday on French opposition leader Marine Le Pen to run in the 2027 presidential election after being convicted to prison for embezzlement. The incident has generated enormous controversy, with numerous journalists and world political figures expressing solidarity with Le Pen and others supporting the French justice system.

"That's a very big deal. I know all about it, and a lot of people thought she wasn't going to be convicted of anything. But she was banned from running for five years, and she's the leading candidate. That sounds like this country; that sounds very much like this country," Trump said, in an apparent reference to the legal cases he himself faced before taking office.

Two years under house arrest

The Paris court that convicted the French right-wing leader found that Le Pen had diverted public funds from the European Union to pay various employees of her party between 2004 and 2016. The court's president, Bénédicte de Perthuis, also convicted 25 other members of the Le Pen, then called the National Front (FN), for paying with European Parliament money, further estimating the damages at $3.13 million.

Although the five-year ban on holding public office imposed by the Paris court against Le Pen cannot be suspended by any kind of appeal, the French right-wing leader will be able to keep her parliamentary seat until the end of her term. The court also sentenced Le Pen to four years in prison and a fine of $108,200, to begin once the French right-wing leader exhausts all her appeals. In a statement, De Perthuis explained that, of the four years of imprisonment to be served by Le Pen, she will only have to serve two under house arrest, the other two being "suspended."

For its part, France's Superior Council of the Judiciary expressed concern over the reactions of many of Le Pen's supporters following the ruling. ""Threats personally targeting the magistrates in charge of the case, just like statements by political leaders on the merits of the prosecution or the conviction, particularly during the deliberations, cannot be accepted in a democratic society," the body said.