Le Pen Cools On Trump – OpEd
By MINA
US President Donald Trump stopped just short of a full-throated endorsement of French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, but her office expressed dismay on Friday at the prospect that Trump doesn’t appear to be altering course from Washington’s tendency to leave a fingerprint on virtually every armed conflict abroad.
“It is deeply sad and damaging for peace and stability in the world,” David Rachline told media of Trump’s recent military forays. Rachline is tasked with leading Le Pen’s campaign to victory, but despite what by many accounts seemed like an alignment of ideologies between the Trump and Le Pen camps, it turns out that may not be the case.
“We hope that what seems to be the considerations of the US domestic policy won’t be a factor of increased tensions around the world,” Rachline said.
“A hope for the end of interventionism after Trump’s victory seems to be weakened.”
Since taking office, Trump has dropped a 21,000 GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast on the Nagnanhar Province of Afghanistan – a $314 million bomb. And following an alleged “chemical attack” in Idlib, Syria, Trump justified launching 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Sha’irat airbase in the Homs governorate in Syria, despite being unable to furnish any sort of proof of the Damascus’ use of chemical weapons. The strike tallied roughly $83 million for the missiles alone.
On Friday morning, Trump tweeted about Thursday’s terror attack in Paris, France, predicting it “will have a big effect on presidential election!”
Later in the day, he said Le Pen was “the strongest on what’s been going on in France,” specifically saying the National Front runner is “strongest on borders.” Thursday’s terror attack will “probably help,” Le Pen’s chances this weekend, he added.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters on Friday Trump wasn’t gunning for any candidate in particular, a comment that seems to belie the president’s remarks.
Le Pen advocates for France to leave the EU, like Britain did in 2016, and is critical of French immigration policy, saying too many refugees and other immigrants are allowed in the country.
