PARIS—Former French presidential candidate Eric Zemmour and his partner, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Sarah Knafo, have both received invitations to attend the inauguration ceremony of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Jan. 20.
“I was the only French politician present in the United States when Donald Trump was elected. Moreover, our party, Reconquête! (Reconquest!), was the only French party to officially support him,” Sarah Knafo told The Epoch Times.
“It is important for us to be present at this event, which is a significant symbol because Donald Trump represents the popular aspirations that we also represent in France, namely ... the defense of American identity and, for us, the defense of French identity. But also the fight against wokeism,” she added.
Notably, Zemmour’s political rival, Marine Le Pen and her party, the National Rally—France’s largest right-wing political force—have not received invitations from Trump’s team.
A counselor to Le Pen confirmed to The Epoch Times that, as of Jan. 10, she had not received an invitation.
Le Pen openly supported Trump in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.
In 2020, she even sent a delegation to Trump’s final rally, also stating that “if Joe Biden were elected, it would be an absolute disaster.”
However, for the 2024 election, Le Pen chose not to offer her endorsement. Upon Trump’s reelection, her response on social media platform X was restrained, as she wished him “every success.”
Le Pen’s father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France’s National Front party, died on Jan. 7 at the age of 96.
Although Zemmour, president of Reconquête!, is well known for his frequent critiques of U.S. foreign policy, he and Knafo have made efforts to establish a relationship with Trump from the outset.
When Zemmour stepped down from his role as a journalist to establish Reconquête! in late 2021 and launch his bid for the French presidency, he received direct support from Trump during a phone call.
The call was organized by Randy Yaloz, president of Republicans Overseas France (ROF), on Feb. 14, 2022.
Zemmour had initially been invited by Trump to visit Mar-a-Lago for an in-person meeting, but the trip was canceled due to concerns over COVID-19 travel restrictions, an ROF representative told The Epoch Times.
“At that time, Eric Zemmour and Marine Le Pen were neck and neck in the polls, while Trump was facing an extremely challenging political period,” Knafo told The Epoch Times.
“Many believed Trump was finished, politically buried.”
Knafo said that during the call Trump told Zemmour: “I know that, like me, you are criticized in your country for being too blunt and too radical. But stay strong. Never give in to journalists, and stay true to yourself. The people will thank you for standing firm.’
“That’s exactly what Trump did, and he succeeded.”
However, Zemmour’s momentum in the polls took a sharp decline after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine just days later. Ultimately, he secured only 7 percent of the vote in the 2022 French presidential election.
In November 2023, Zemmour delivered a keynote speech at the Worldwide Freedom Initiative in Paris, an event organized by Yaloz to strengthen ties between the United States and European conservatives.
The gathering also included a virtual speech by Trump via phone and an in-person address by South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who has recently been nominated as Secretary of Homeland Security and was, at the time, considered a potential vice-presidential candidate.
According to a representative from ROF, the organization had also planned to offer a prominent role at the event to Le Pen’s National Rally. However, the opportunity did not come to fruition, a representative told The Epoch Times.
Last August, Knafo said that she spent part of her summer at the Claremont Institute, an organization with which Vice President-elect JD Vance has close ties.
Knafo explained that she decided to attend the seminar because of “intellectual proximity.”
“Eric Zemmour and I attended several dinners at the Claremont Institute during the summer, and what stood out was how much he shared the same views as the intellectuals who teach there.
“This clearly shows that, on matters of civilization, we are not just in the same boat; we are brothers.”
On Oct. 7, 2024, Trump delivered remarks at an event in Miami to mark the first anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel.
Knafo was the only French and European figure invited.
In November, she made her third trip to the United States to attend Trump’s final meeting in Pennsylvania, explaining that it was essential to be there in person because this election “has inevitable consequences for France and Europe.”
On Jan. 20, Zemmour and Knafo will return to the United States once again.
“While our national interests may diverge, particularly on defense or trade policy, the civilizational challenge remains paramount, making us unwavering allies as we face common threats,” she told The Epoch Times.
Knafo highlighted her party’s commitment to economic liberalism and opposition to woke ideology.
“This sets us apart from the Rassemblement National [National Rally], which adopts a more socialist stance on economic matters. And on wokeism, no other party in France takes as firm a stance as we do,” she said.
This presents Reconquête! with a new opportunity to strengthen its ties with the Trump administration and potentially build rapport with Elon Musk, who is drawing increased attention from European heads of state due to his growing involvement in European politics.
While Musk attended the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral last month alongside Trump, he has not yet made any public statements about France.
