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Musk slams Le Pen ruling, says it will ‘backfire’ like Trump’s as some on global right face legal troubles
JERUSALEM — The stunning court conviction of popular right-wing politician Marine Le Pen on Monday for embezzlement sparked outrage from President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency head, Elon Musk, who compared her fate to Trump’s legal troubles.
Musk said after the verdict that, «This will backfire, like the legal attacks against President Trump.» Musk pinned the blame on the left for the conviction of Le Pen. He wrote on X, «When the radical left can’t win via democratic vote, they abuse the legal system to jail their opponents. This is their standard playbook throughout the world.»
The conviction of Le Pen, which bans her from running for office for five years, comes amid legal prosecutions of other right-wing politicians, ranging from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Romania’s Călin Georgescu to former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
TRUMP’S VICTORY COULD GIVE BOOST TO BRAZIL’S BOLSONARO’S RE-ELECTION HOPES AMID COURT BAN ON HIM RUNNING
French right-wing leader Marine Le Pen arrives at a Paris court expected to deliver a verdict in an embezzlement case on Monday, March 31, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Fox News Digital reported last year, after a Manhattan jury convicted then-former President Trump of falsifying business records, that legal experts saw similarities between his case and the ongoing corruption prosecution against Netanyahu.
When asked on Monday about Le Pen’s sentence, Trump told reporters it was «a big deal,» adding, «But she was banned for running for five years, and she’s the leading candidate. That sounds like this country, that sounds very much like this country.»
Other cases where world leaders and politicians on the right have been targeted include Netanyahu, who was charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in a legal saga that started four years ago and is still unfolding. Netanyahu has flatly denied all the accusations against him.
Calin Georgescu, the winner of Romania’s first round of the presidential election, annulled by the Constitutional Court, waves to supporters gathered for a protest outside the Romanian parliament in Bucharest, Romania, on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexandru Dobre, File)
Romania’s right-wing presidential frontrunner, Georgescu, was barred from the race under criminal charges he compared to those Trump faced.
«We are faced with a communist regime as well,» Georgescu told Fox News Digital just before a Romanian electoral bureau barred him from running in a May presidential election rerun. Prosecutors opened a criminal case against him two weeks prior.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro speaks to the press as he arrives at the Brasilia International Airport in Brasilia, Brazil, on March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Nova)
Just last week, Brazil’s Supreme Court accepted charges against former President Bolsonaro over an alleged attempt to remain in office after his 2022 election defeat, ordering the former leader to stand trial.
Italy’s Vice Premier Matteo Salvini, who was cleared in December of illegally detaining migrants, called his case «a declaration of war by Brussels.»
Eugene Kontorovich, a legal expert and senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, told Fox News Digital, «France follows the pattern of political prosecutions in the U.S. and Israel, where criminal prosecutions for obscure victimless offenses are used to knock out popular leaders of right wing parties, and use to courts to stand between the electorate and their preferred candidates. It is unlikely these cases are all happening within a year of each other: Leftists around the world are learning from, and legitimizing, each other’s tactics.»
ROMANIA BLOCKS FRONTRUNNER FROM POSTPONED PRESIDENTIAL RACE
President Donald Trump, right, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak during a news conference in the East Room of the White House on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Alex Brandon/AP)
The heart of the embezzlement case revolves around accusations against Le Pen and more than 20 other National Rally figures who allegedly used EU funds to hire employees to work for the National Rally instead of matters involving the European Parliament as required by EU regulations in Brussels.
The French court also imposed a four-year prison sentence on Le Pen. The conviction unleashed a political earthquake in France, where the next presidential election is slated for 2027.
Right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an ally of Trump, posted in French on social media a solidarity message, «Je suis Marine!» («I am Marine»), an apparent reference to the slogan «Je suis Charlie» that was formulated after radical Islamist terrorists murdered journalists in 2015 from the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris.
Le Pen has transformed the anti-immigration party National Rally (formerly called the National Front) into a serious political force that is a legitimate contender to win the 2027 presidential election.
Marine Le Pen, president of the National Rally group in the National Assembly, joins Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally (Rassemblement National), at the final rally before the recently held European Parliament election on June 9. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
She ousted her father, the late Jean-Marie Le Pen, who founded the National Front, and rejected his antisemitism. He was fined for terming the Holocaust gas chambers a «detail of history».
Marine Le Pen’s protégé, the 29-year-old Jordan Bardella, recently spoke last week at an Israeli government conference on combating antisemitism. He is expected to take over the National Rally. He urged a «peaceful mobilization» to protest the verdict.
According to French24, Bardella said the guilty verdict has «killed» French democracy. His party launched a petition that states:»It is no longer the government of judges, but the dictatorship of judges, which wishes to prevent the French people from expressing themselves.»
Le Pen’s lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut, announced that he would appeal the verdict.
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Leader of Italy’s right-wing League Party Matteo Salvini reacts as he leaves a court after a hearing in the trial against him on charges of kidnapping over his decision to prevent more than 100 migrants from landing in the country in 2019, in Palermo, Italy, on Oct. 23, 2021. (REUTERS/Antonio Parrinello)
«I am shocked by the incredibly tough verdict against Marine Le Pen,» said Holland’s right-wing politician, Geert Wilders, who has been dubbed the Dutch version of Trump.
He added,»I support and believe in her 100% and I trust she will win the appeal and become President of France.»
Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
INTERNACIONAL
Zelenskyy tells Kremlin leaders they should ‘know where the bomb shelters are’ in ominous warning
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned leaders in Moscow that they should familiarize themselves with their nearest bomb shelter in an ominous warning Thursday.
Zelenskyy made the comment in an interview with Axios following his Wednesday address to the United Nations General Assembly. The Ukrainian leader says he received express permission from President Donald Trump to strike energy and infrastructure targets within Russia.
He also said he had requested that the U.S. supply Ukraine with a weapons system that he claimed would force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, though he declined to name the weapon.
«They have to know where the bomb shelters are,» Zelenskyy said of Kremlin leaders. «They need it. If they will not stop the war, they will need it in any case.»
TRUMP MOCKS NATO ALLIES FOR ‘FUNDING THE WAR AGAINST THEMSELVES’ WITH RUSSIAN ENERGY PURCHASES
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Kremlin leaders that they should find their nearest bomb shelter. (Danylo Antoniuk/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«They have to know that we in Ukraine, each day, we will answer. If they attack us, we will answer them,» he added.
Zelenskyy remained vague when speaking about the weapons system he had requested from the U.S.
RUSSIA SHIFTS FROM TALK TO ACTION, TARGETING NATO HOMELAND AMID FEARS OF GLOBAL WAR
«President Trump knows, I told him yesterday what we need, one thing,» Zelenskyy told the outlet.
«We need it, but it doesn’t mean that we will use it. Because if we’ll have it, I think it’s additional pressure on Putin to sit and speak,» he said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President Donald Trump at the United Nations earlier this week. (Ukranian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Trump this week shocked the international community when he flipped his position on the war in Ukraine and said he thinks Kyiv could re-take all of its occupied land that was seized by Russia.
«I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and win all of Ukraine back in its original form,» he said Tuesday on social media.
«With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original borders from where this war started, is very much an option,» Trump added. «Why not?»
Trump argued this week that Ukraine can win its war against Russia. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
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This position is a stark reversal from where he stood when he first re-entered office and, in an infamous February Oval Office meeting told Zelenskyy he «[didn’t] have the cards» to take on Russia, and repeatedly suggested Kyiv would need to make significant concessions to end the war.
Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report
ukraine,volodymyr zelenskyy,donald trump,vladimir putin,russia
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Former FBI Director James Comey has declared himself «not afraid» of President Donald Trump’s Justice Department after being indicted Thursday for allegedly lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding.
«My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump, but we couldn’t imagine ourselves living any other way,» Comey, who denies the allegations, said in an Instagram video. «We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn’t either. Somebody that I love dearly recently said that fear is the tool of a tyrant, and she’s right.»
«But I’m not afraid,» Comey added.
COMEY INDICTED FOR ALLEGED FALSE STATEMENTS, OBSTRUCTION OF CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDING
Former FBI Director James Comey is sworn in prior to testifying before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on June 8, 2017. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)
Comey was indicted by a grand jury following a probe centered on whether he lied to Congress during his Sept. 30, 2020, testimony about his handling of the original Trump–Russia investigation at the FBI, known inside the bureau as «Crossfire Hurricane.» The indictment also alleges Comey made a false statement when he testified that he did not authorize someone at the FBI to be an anonymous source. According to the indictment, that statement was false.
«My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system,» Comey continued. «I’m innocent. So let’s have a trial and keep the faith.»
Patrick J. Fitzgerald will represent Comey in the case and said his client denies the charges.
«Jim Comey denies the charges filed today in their entirety,» Fitzgerald said in a statement. «We look forward to vindicating him in the courtroom.»
WATCH: James Comey indicted, charged with false statement and obstruction of justice
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SEEKS TO INDICT FORMER FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY FOR ALLEGEDLY LYING TO CONGRESS
Fitzgerald previously served as special counsel in the Valerie Plame CIA leak probe and as U.S. attorney in Chicago, where he prosecuted former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted in a corruption scandal in 2011.
The indictment marks a stunning legal turn for the man who once led the bureau through the Hillary Clinton email controversy and Russia investigation.
Comey will reportedly turn himself in on Friday, and his arraignment is set for 10 a.m. on Oct. 9 before District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff, a judge appointed by former President Joe Biden.
President Trump took to Truth Social Friday to celebrate the indictment and declared Comey a «dirty copy.»
«Whether you like Corrupt James Comey or not, and I can’t imagine too many people liking him, HE LIED!» Trump wrote. «It is not a complex lie, it’s a very simple, but IMPORTANT one. There is no way he can explain his way out of it.»
Trump said Comey got «unexpectedly caught» but is off to a good start with the case being assigned to a Biden-appointed judge.
«He knew exactly what he was saying, and that it was a very serious and far-reaching lie for which a very big price must be paid!» Trump wrote.
The indictment alleges that Comey obstructed a congressional investigation into the disclosure of sensitive information in violation of 18 USC 1505.
Former FBI Director James Comey speaks onstage in New York in 2023. Comey was indicted on federal charges of lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
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Fox News Digital also exclusively reported that former CIA Director John Brennan is under criminal investigation related to the Trump–Russia probe.
Under federal law, prosecutors have five years to bring a charge, with the five-year mark occurring Tuesday.
The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
james comey,donald trump,justice department,fbi,russia investigation,hillary clinton
INTERNACIONAL
Los ojos azules casi desaparecieron en Roma durante el Imperio: qué reveló un análisis genético
Un análisis genético reciente reveló un dato sorprendente: los ojos azules, presentes en una proporción relevante en Europa antes de la consolidación del Imperio Romano, experimentaron un descenso drástico durante ese período. Esta investigación abre nuevas preguntas sobre la composición genética de las poblaciones antiguas y los movimientos migratorios que modelaron la historia de Roma.
Antes de la expansión imperial, alrededor de uno de cada cinco habitantes de la Roma antigua tenía ojos azules. Sin embargo, durante el Imperio Romano ese porcentaje cayó a un 4%. Según datos publicados en Xataka, este fenómeno llamó la atención de genetistas y demógrafos, ya que cuesta explicar que una característica físicamente visible haya cambiado de modo tan marcado en tan pocas generaciones.
El investigador Davide Piffer recopiló el ADN de más de 4.000 individuos antiguos, lo que permitió comparar la prevalencia de ojos azules en distintas etapas de la historia europea. De acuerdo con el reporte, los romanos del período preimperial tenían una importante presencia de ojos claros, mientras que en la Roma medieval el porcentaje volvía a situarse cerca del 21%. El desplome del periodo imperial aparece como una excepción.
Según Piffer, la explicación se halla en los flujos migratorios y en la mezcla de poblaciones. En los primeros siglos de Roma, la base genética principal era anatolia, pero había una influencia apreciable de grupos yamnas procedentes de las estepas, que solían tener una mayor proporción de ojos claros. Cuando el Imperio adquirió su máxima extensión territorial, llegaron nuevos migrantes desde regiones internas y orientales, en quienes predominaban los ojos marrones. Solo tras la caída del Imperio, el ingreso de grupos germánicos, como los longobardos y ostrogodos, favoreció el regreso de la pigmentación clara.
A nivel molecular, el color de los ojos depende de dos genes muy próximos en el cromosoma 15: OCA2, que controla la melanina en el iris, y HERC2, que lo regula. Según Davide Piffer, en los individuos con ojos marrones, HERC2 activa OCA2 para producir pigmento. En cambio, una mutación específica limita esa función, lo que da lugar a una menor cantidad de melanina, percibida como tono azul o verdoso.
La genética permite establecer una “huella” en el ADN que indica la probable pigmentación ocular de personas de tiempos remotos. Esta posibilidad llevó a algunos investigadores a afirmar que, en realidad, no existen datos concluyentes sobre la prevalencia de ojos claros en la antigua Roma. El demógrafo Lyman Stone analizó la fiabilidad de las muestras y detectó límites inherentes a los métodos actuales.
De acuerdo con Stone, la población de la Roma imperial integró a muchos inmigrantes de orígenes diversos, en los que predominaba el color de ojos oscuro. Además, las propias fuentes genéticas disponibles podrían no ser suficientes para dar cuenta de la diversidad real, por lo que cualquier afirmación termina bajo revisión permanente.
Según National Geographic, estos estudios se insertan en un debate más amplio sobre la evolución de los rasgos fenotípicos en Europa. Por ejemplo, hasta la Edad del Hierro, la mayoría de los europeos tenía piel oscura, y la pigmentación clara es mucho más reciente de lo que suele creerse.
El análisis de restos emblemáticos, como el Hombre de Cheddar en el Reino Unido, refuerza la idea de que la pigmentación clara de los ojos y piel apareció antes de la Edad del Hierro en algunos individuos, pero solo se consolidó gracias a múltiples procesos migratorios y evolutivos posteriores. A pesar de que la tecnología genética actual ofrece una herramienta poderosa para desentrañar el pasado físico de Europa, la interpretación de los resultados requiere cautela por la degradación del material genético y la limitada representatividad de las muestras.
En síntesis, el estudio del ADN antiguo demuestra que la dinámica del Imperio Romano alteró de manera notable la distribución de los ojos azules en la región. Los datos muestran que factores como migraciones, prestigio cultural de ciertos rasgos y encuentro entre poblaciones modelaron la composición genética de los habitantes. Las oscilaciones en la proporción de ojos claros ilustran cómo características visibles pueden desaparecer en contextos históricos concretos, para luego resurgir gracias a nuevas olas migratorias.
Actualmente, la genética continúa ampliando el entendimiento sobre los cambios fenotípicos europeos. La reducción de la proporción de ojos azules en el Imperio Romano es solo un ejemplo de cómo la historia genética se construye con descubrimientos inesperados y revela una Europa antigua diversa, en constante transformación.
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