Ultra-nationalist presidential challenger Eric Zemmour says he spoke to Trump in a 40-minute phone call
French far-right politician Eric Zemmour holds a campaign rally in Lille, France, on February 5. Picture: PASCAL ROSSIGNOL/REUTERS
Zemmour’s campaign team said the two had a 40-minute phone call late on Monday. Like Trump, Zemmour has positioned himself as a political outsider, banking instead on his celebrity status and no-nonsense language. Zemmour has said France needs saving from a downward spiral he blames largely on what he describes as unfettered immigration and the increasing influence of Islam on French society. He has several convictions for inciting racial hate.“We share the same ideas, namely that the US should remain the US, and France should remain France,” he said.
Trump’s 2016 presidential run is often cited as a blueprint for the campaign of Zemmour, a writer and polemicist who wants to unite the far-right and staunchly conservative voters who have traditionally voted for the mainstream centre-right.Trump has not officially endorsed Zemmour, Randy Yaloz from the Republican Party’s overseas group told BFM TV. Yaloz said he was in the room with Zemmour during the call.