Trump Expresses Support For Marine Le Pen But Doesn’t Give Explicit Endorsement, French Election Is Sunday

CNBC reports:

President Donald Trump says he believes Thursday’s attack in Paris will “probably help” far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in France’s upcoming election. In an interview with The Associated Press, Trump says he is not explicitly endorsing Le Pen. But he says he believes she will be helped by the attack that left a Paris police officer dead, because she’s the candidate who is “strongest on borders, and she’s the strongest on what’s been going on in France.” France’s anti-terrorism prosecutor said Friday the gunman had a note with him defending the Islamic State group.

From the Washington Post:

There is little evidence of a close relationship between the U.S. president and the would-be French leader. Le Pen’s name has never been mentioned on Trump’s hyperactive Twitter account, though Le Pen has tweeted his name a number of times. The two do not appear to have met in person: When Le Pen visited Trump tower in January, she did not meet with the then-president-elect or any members of his transition team, and was instead photographed having coffee at an ice cream parlor on the ground floor.

Le Pen spawned international outrage last week when she denied French collaboration with the Nazis.