'Free Le Pen!' Trump, Musk and Vance voice support for French far-right leader

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen leaves the National Rally headquarters after a French court convicted Marine Le Pen of embezzlement and barred her from seeking public office for five years. Picture: Thomas Padilla/AP Photo

US president Donald Trump, his vice president JD Vance and billionaire backer Elon Musk have all voiced their support to French far-right leader Marine Le Pen after she was found guilty of embezzlement and barred from running in France's 2027 presidential election.

Trump, who often labelled his own legal woes as a leftist witch-hunt, drew parallels with Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Rally (RN) party, who was widely seen as a plausible presidential winner.