In late May, a delegation from the US State Department engaged with high-ranking officials of France’s National Rally (RN). However, their proposal to publicly endorse the party’s figurehead, Marine Le Pen, following a court ruling that prohibited her from holding office, was rejected by the far-right party, as reported.
A delegation from the US State Department engaged with high-ranking officials from France’s National Rally (RN) in late May; however, their proposal to publicly endorse figurehead Marine Le Pen, following a court’s decision to bar her from office, was rejected by the far-right party, according to two sources.
Le Pen, a leading figure in the European far right, was a key contender for the 2027 French presidential election until a court prohibited her from participating in March due to her conviction for embezzling EU funds.
US President Donald Trump and other right-wing leaders swiftly expressed their support for her, claiming that she was a victim of political censorship.
The US delegation that traveled to Paris was headed by Samuel Samson, an official from the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL). He is part of a wave of young conservatives advancing within Trump’s administration.
Samson met with senior officials of the RN, but Le Pen and her prominent deputy, party president Jordan Bardella, were absent, as reported by the two sources. One source indicated that the purpose of the meeting was to explore how the Trump administration could publicly support Le Pen, who seeks to overturn her conviction.
Nevertheless, the proposal was turned down, according to the two sources. The RN officials conveyed that an endorsement from Trump’s State Department might jeopardize the party’s chances in the 2027 election, as stated by one source.
Additionally, the RN officials informed Samson that there was no necessity to support Le Pen, as Bardella has a strong likelihood of winning if she is unable to run, according to the source.
Once regarded as a pariah by many in France, Le Pen has made significant efforts to rehabilitate the image of her eurosceptic nationalist party, presenting it more broadly as a champion of family incomes, employment, and French identity.
A senior official from the State Department, who requested anonymity, confirmed that the meeting occurred but contested the assertion that an offer of assistance was rejected. The official stated that RN representatives “indicated the fact that they need to act in their own interest as independent parties.”
The RN expressed appreciation for Washington’s involvement, as stated by the official.
The RN’s reaction exemplifies how, despite some ideological similarities, Trump’s backing is perceived as a liability by certain European nationalists.
A source affiliated with Le Pen verified the meeting, remarking, “support for our party from a foreign administration isn’t precisely something we are used to.”
The RN did not provide a response to a request for comment.
Samson’s discussions with RN officials and their dismissal of US support have not been reported.
‘Lawfare’ concerns
Earlier this month, the DRL announced on X that its officials “met with French officials, political parties, and other stakeholders to reaffirm a shared commitment to free speech, democratic choice, and religious freedom … Echoing (Trump), we are troubled by those in Europe ‘using lawfare to suppress free speech and silence their political opponents.’”
Polls indicate that a majority of French citizens did not object to her ban.
The day prior to the RN meeting, in a post on the State Department’s Substack, Samson referenced Le Pen’s situation as proof that “Europe has regressed into a hotbed of digital censorship, mass migration, restrictions on religious freedom, and various other attacks on democratic self-governance.”
The State Department official dismissed criticisms from Trump’s adversaries that his administration was solely focused on the “censorship” and human rights of far-right individuals.
“The unfortunate reality of the current human rights discourse is that it is politicized and selectively addresses issues,” the official stated, adding that the Trump administration was merely attempting to “rectify” that.
Samson has been a key proponent of efforts to support UK anti-abortion demonstrators, according to one of the sources. In March, the DRL posted on X that he met with anti-abortion activist Livia Tossici-Bolt. She was found guilty in April of violating an order that prohibited protests outside a clinic in southern England.
His expressed worries regarding a potential European assault on free speech resonate with the remarks made by US Vice President JD Vance during a significant address in Munich earlier this year.
