Trump's comments in the Oval Office

Donald Trump said on Tuesday, 20 October, that Marine Le Pen is France's 'conservative voice', speaking in the Oval Office after a question from an AFP journalist. Asked whether he would back her in the 2027 presidential race, he said he did not know her and had never met her, but believed she had been treated very unfairly. He went further and suggested that the French justice system had been used for political purposes against the leader of the National Rally (RN). Trump also said Le Pen had been leading in the polls before the unrest, and that since the violence she was clearly the conservative voice. The exchange took place a day after a rally in Kansas, and he did not say whether he would support her, so the endorsement question remains open.

Le Pen's conviction and path to 2027

Le Pen, 58, was convicted in March 2025 of misappropriation of public funds. The original ruling included a five-year ban on holding public office. A later ruling by an appeal court reduced the penalty to 15 months, which she has already served, and this opens the way for her to stand in the presidential election of 2027. That election falls at the end of Emmanuel Macron's term. The 15 months have already been served, which is what allows her to run. Trump's remarks therefore touched on a case that now determines her eligibility for the next presidential race.

Unrest and the immigration argument

Protests over the weekend of 17 October turned violent in several cities, and authorities announced hundreds of arrests in Paris. The unrest increased pressure on the French government and fed a debate on security and immigration policy. Trump has linked the violence to immigration, and his administration has largely attributed the unrest to migration.

On Monday, 19 October, at a midterms rally in Kansas, he described France as being 'conquered, looted, and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists, and communists'. The same day he wrote on Truth Social that migrants had conquered France and that the borders needed to be closed quickly. He also rejected the idea that the events were a minor revolt or a simple protest, calling them a revolution that is still under way.

Timing ahead of the midterms

The remarks came before the US midterm elections on 3 November. Trump has used the French unrest repeatedly to press his anti-immigration message, and the coverage frames his comments as part of that campaign. The Republican Party faces a difficult race, weighed down by the cost of living and fuel prices in the United States. Since returning to office, Trump has launched large-scale deportation operations and pushed for tighter immigration policy. No formal endorsement of Le Pen has been announced.