President Trump has thrown his support behind France’s figurehead Marine Le Pen, saying that her recent conviction for allegations of embezzlement was nothing more than a “witch hunt” meant to prevent her from running for office.

In a long missive on Truth Social early Friday Morning, Mr. Trump alleged that the head of National Rally party — who was recently banned from running for political office for five years and under house detainment for two years — had been a victim of “lawfare” like the charges that were filed against him in America.

“The Witch Hunt against Marine Le Pen is another example of European Leftists using Lawfare to silence Free Speech, and censor their Political Opponent, this time going so far as to put that Opponent in prison,” he wrote in the lengthy diatribe. “It is the same ‘playbook’ that was used against me by a group of Lunatics and Losers, like Norm Eisen, Andrew Weissmann, and Lisa Monaco.”

“They spent the last nine years thinking of nothing else, and they FAILED, because the People of the United States realized that they were only Corrupt Lawyers and Politicians.”

Earlier this week, Ms. Le Pen was found guilty  by a Paris court, along with eight other MEPs and a dozen assistants, for accusations that they used European Parliament money to pay staff who were working for the RN.

Prosecutors requested from the court a harsher penalty, including a prison sentence of five years and a fine of $325,000 in addition to ineligibility to run for office over the next five years.

Ms. Le Pen was also handed a four-year prison sentence with two years suspended while she will serve the remainder under house detention. While not able to participate in future elections, she will be able to continue to serve her current post as a parliamentary member representing Pas-de-Calais.

Mr. Trump also said he believed she was innocent and that the payments were nothing more than a “bookkeeping error.”

“I don’t know Marine Le Pen, but do appreciate how hard she worked for so many years,” he said. “She suffered losses, but kept on going, and now, just before what would be a Big Victory, they get her on a minor charge that she probably knew nothing about – Sounds like a ‘bookkeeping’ error to me.”

“It is all so bad for France, and the Great French People, no matter what side they are on. FREE MARINE LE PEN!”

Ms. Le Pen had previously run three times for president of France, with the most recent bid in 2022 when she was defeated in a run-off election with current president, Emmanuel Macron. She was able to obtain more than 41 percent of the vote.

The National Rally party rose to prominence under its former moniker, The National Front, with a far-right agenda. In recent years, the organization has attempted to distance itself from its racist and antisemitic roots for candidates to secure more elections.

According to previous polls, Ms. Le Pen was on track to replace President Macron, who cannot seek a third term in office.