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French Socialist Candidate Slams Trump as 'Useful Idiot' for Russian Diesel Deal
· Confirmed
In Short: French Socialist presidential candidate Raphaël Glucksmann accused President Trump of being a 'useful idiot' for allowing more Russian diesel into global markets.
French Socialist presidential candidate Raphaël Glucksmann criticized President Trump for his agreement with Vladimir Putin to allow more Russian diesel to flow into global energy markets, calling Trump either a 'useful idiot' or an 'agent of the destruction of European strength and freedom.'
Glucksmann's comments were made at a POLITICO event in Paris, where he positioned himself as the top anti-Trump candidate in the race to replace Emmanuel Macron in the Élysée Palace next year.
According to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), France is the EU’s second-largest importer of Russian LNG, buying 349 million euros ($392mn) worth of LNG from Russia in June alone.
Glucksmann, currently in fourth place in the latest presidential election polling with around 10 per cent support, emphasized that the deal targets Europeans directly, leaving them alone to face the consequences.
The candidate argued that Europe needed to 'leverage its position of strength' when negotiating with China, aiming to reduce the bloc's €1 billion-a-day trade deficit.
Glucksmann also called for the EU to stick to its goal of phasing out combustion engine vehicles by 2035 and investing in electric vehicles to avoid ceding the sector to China.
In contrast, National Rally leader Marine Le Pen enjoys much broader support, with over 35 per cent of first-round voters backing her bid to become the country’s next president.
Le Pen said her party borrowed money overseas because French banks refused loans, and that the loan had no impact on her political stances.
Glucksmann warned that the deal could 'break the deadlock, particularly in the European Parliament' on the IAA, and urged Europeans to prevent 'the Trump supporters, the Putin supporters, the xenophobes, and the demagogues from seizing control of the Republic.'
According to POLITICO’s Poll of Polls, Le Pen currently boasts a double-digit lead over her competitors for the first round of next year’s presidential election.
France’s presidential election will go to a runoff if neither of the top two candidates gets more than 50% of the vote in the first round.
Even when including Paris’s EU contributions, estimated at around 19 billion euros ($23bn), this pales in comparison to the support provided by the United States.
What this adds
The candidate's comments reflect a broader narrative of European leaders criticizing U.S. policy towards Russia, particularly in the context of energy deals that could undermine European security and economic interests.
Background
French Socialist presidential candidate Raphaël Glucksmann accused President Trump of being a 'useful idiot' for allowing more Russian diesel into global markets.
A bipartisan group of senators urged President Trump to rescind a deal allowing Russia to sell diesel on global markets, calling it a 'betrayal' of Ukraine.
A useful idiot or useful fool is a pejorative description of a person, suggesting that the person thinks they are fighting for a cause without fully comprehending the consequences of their actions, and who does not realize they are being manipulated by the cause's leaders or by other political players.
What's confirmed
- French Socialist presidential candidate Raphaël Glucksmann criticised U.S.
- Le Pen said her party borrowed money overseas because French banks refused loans and that the loan had no impact on her political stances.
- The center-left candidate said Europe needed to “leverage its position of strength” when it comes to negotiations with China, with whom the bloc is trying to reduce its €1 billion-a-day trade deficit.
- France’s presidential election will go to a runoff if neither of the top two candidates gets more than 50% of the vote in the first round.
- President Donald Trump’s decision to ease restrictions on Russian diesel exports as a move that benefits the Kremlin at Europe’s expense.
- Le Pen currently boasts a double-digit lead over her competitors for the first round of next year’s presidential election, according to POLITICO’s Poll of Polls.
What's still developing
- He falsely stated that a Justice Department inspector general’s investigation had declared the inquiry “fraudulent.” (The IG report concluded it was legitimately opened but identified several problems with the probe.) Graham had become a pit bull for Russia denialism.