Marine Le Pen: I’m Best Equipped to Face ‘New World’ of Donald Trump

Marine Le Pen, France’s right-leaning presidential candidate, said she’s the best chance for her country to be able to deal with the emerging new world — the one that’s being led by the likes of U.S. President Donald Trump.

She said her views are much more aligned with Trump’s — and with other world leaders — than with Angela Merkel’s, and for that reason, she would be the strong voice on the international stage that France needs to compete and survive in this more populist, free-market world.

From the Express:

“Le Pen said that she would be the best leader to defend France’s interests against the tough world leaders.

“In an interview, she said: ‘I think I’m best placed to talk to this new world that’s emerging, to talk to the Russia of Putin, to the United States of Trump, to talk to the Britain of Theresa May, to talk to the India of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. …

“‘All of those countries are more or less turning their backs not the ideology of free trade, or competition, and of undermining social protection.

“‘So I feel much more in line with their political philosophy than with Angela Merkel’s.’

“This comes as Ms Le Pen’s father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, criticised his daughter’s campaign claiming that he would have campaigned more like Mr Trump.

“Similar to President Trump, Ms Le Pen is the outsider, a nationalist and anti-establishment.

“When Ms Le Pen was asked about the hurdles Mr Trump faced in his first 100 days in office, she said: ‘It shows the establishment exists and is trying to fight against the democratic result of the people.

“‘You can see that a part of the system is uniting to stop Donald Trump from putting in place the measures which were chosen by the people.’”

Trump, for his part, hasn’t officially endorsed Le Pen for the presidency. But he has hinted a bit that she’d be his preferred candidate, remarking on Twitter after the recent terror attack in the country that the people of France were tired of being left vulnerable and that the attack would “have a big effect on [the] presidential election.”