US President Donald Trump has described the embezzlement case against French far-right leader Marine Le Pen as a “witch hunt.” Ms Le Pen, who was handed a five-year ban on running for office and a four-year jail sentence following her conviction of embezzling EU funds, has called for protests this weekend.

Mr Trump praised Ms Le Pen and compared her situation to his own, criticizing her conviction as a “minor charge,” suggesting it sounded like a “bookkeeping error.”

Ms Le Pen has maintained that her trial judges are interfering in democracy, leading to the need for the lead judge to receive police protection due to death threats. She is expected to appeal her conviction.

Despite Ms Le Pen’s calls for a mass protest to challenge the “tyranny of judges,” polls suggest a majority of the French population sees the court’s decision as fair. Polling expert Gael Sliman pointed out the potential risks in attacking judges to broaden her political appeal.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/donald-trump-calls-marine-le-pens-conviction-a-witch-hunt-as-judge-given-police-protection-13341650