Marine Le Pen is set to appear in court next week to appeal a verdict.
Although the State Department has since labeled the Spiegel report as “stale and false,” the suggestion of any connection between National Rally and MAGA quickly put the party in a defensive position. This reaction was especially pronounced given Washington’s recent sanctions against a French judge at the International Criminal Court who issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a Wednesday press release, the National Rally condemned the sanctions against the ICC judge and emphasized vigilance against “any pressure of unacceptable nature on the judicial branch.” The same statement criticized the initial Spiegel report as “fake news” and reproached the media for disseminating it.
Three National Rally officials contacted by POLITICO also voiced discomfort over the unconfirmed report.
Renaud Labaye, a close adviser to Le Pen and senior member of the National Rally, stated on Thursday, “We have always rejected foreign interference from one side or the other. We stand by that.”
Alexandre Sabatou, part of the France-U.S. friendship group in the National Assembly and attendee of Trump’s inauguration, expressed irritation on Tuesday, saying, “as a staunch defender of France as a sovereign nation, it bugs me.”
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