Le Pen rails against political ‘violence’

Marine Le Pen, the French right-wing politician and longtime leader of the National Rally (RN) party, has denounced the attempt on former US President Donald Trump's life, cautioning that this incident serves as a warning for France and the entire Western world regarding political violence.

Speaking to reporters during the celebrations of Bastille Day, France’s national holiday, Le Pen reiterated her stance. She further reinforced her message by posting a video of the conversation about the attack on X (formerly Twitter).

“The assassination attempt against Donald Trump is a shock to everyone. There were serious injuries and one death among the Republican candidate’s activists. This is a warning for all of us, France is not safe from this violence,” she cautioned.

France itself has faced heightened tensions between opposing political factions, with inflammatory rhetoric escalating following the RN’s victory in the EU Parliament elections, as well as significant gains made by the party during the subsequent national elections.

Earlier in the week, Le Pen implied that the French left may have been planning a form of insurrection, likening the proposed “march” on the prime minister’s office to the 2021 Capitol Hill rioting in the US.

Former US President Donald Trump was targeted during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday when the suspect, identified as 20-year-old local Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired upon him from a rooftop. The suspect was subsequently neutralized by a counter-sniper team, having fired at least five rounds. Trump sustained a grazing wound from one of the bullets, while one of his supporters was killed and two others were severely wounded.