00:00French prosecutors are pushing to uphold a five-year ban on Marine Le Pen holding public office,
00:05which could block her from running in the 2027 presidential election.
00:10But there's a twist. A French magistrate says two U.S. State Department advisors
00:15quietly met with her last year to discuss Le Pen's conviction.
00:30Deux émissaires de l'administration Trump qui sont venus.
00:33On devait avoir une discussion sur les droits de l'homme, comme je me j'en ai régulièrement,
00:36avec des diplomates de pays alliés.
00:40Et assez rapidement, la conversation a tourné autour de la situation pénale de Marine Le Pen
00:44avec l'idée de chercher des éléments auprès de moi et peut-être auprès d'autres personnes qu'ils allaient
00:49rencontrer
00:49qui pourraient accréditer l'idée qu'il s'agirait d'un procès purement politique
00:55pour l'empêcher d'être candidate.
00:58The officials reportedly believe Le Pen was treated unfairly
01:03and wanted to explore ways to suggest the trial was political,
01:07a view echoed by many U.S. conservative voices.
01:10The magistrate found the conversation so uncomfortable,
01:14she reported it to the French Foreign Ministry,
01:16warning it could influence public debate in France.
01:20The U.S. State Department confirmed the visit,
01:23saying in a message on X, the trip was to reaffirm a shared commitment to free speech
01:28democratic choice and religious freedom,
01:31dismissing interference claims as false rumors.
01:34Still, if the allegations are true,
01:37it's a striking case of U.S. meddling in another country's legal system,
01:41raising fresh concerns about foreign involvement in French politics,
01:45right as Le Pen fights her appeal and eyes a potential presidential 2027 run.
