Former U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly offered words of encouragement to one of France’s conservative presidential hopefuls, Éric Zemmour, in a telephone call between the pair on Monday, Zemmour’s campaign has confirmed.
As reported by French broadcaster, BFM TV, the telephone call took place late on Monday evening after a member of Zemmour’s entourage contacted a former member of Trump’s cabinet, who then offered either a physical meeting with the former U.S. president or a telephone call.
”The firm accepted both, but with a trip to Florida being complicated, the team organized this telephone exchange,” a source close to Zemmour told French media.
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During the telephone call, which lasted for around 40 minutes, Trump praised Zemmour’s commitment to the conservative cause and offered some words of wisdom:
“To win, never change your line… The media will find you brutal, never change if you want to win, keep your authenticity and your courage,” he reportedly told Zemmour.
“Trump explained to Zemmour the reasons for his victory in 2016, gave him his feelings about France: according to him, the deep feeling of the French is the fear of immigration,” tweeted BFM TV journalist Leopold Audebert about the exchange.
In response, Zemmour offered his gratitude to Trump, and told him: “I remember your phrase: ‘I am committed to the survival of America as we know it.’
“I make it mine: I am committed to the survival of France as we know it.”
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Zemmour is currently the fourth favorite to become the next French president when the country goes to the polls for the first round of voting on April 10. Zemmour’s conservative rival, Marine Le Pen, is currently polling ahead of Zemmour in the first round of voting.
The latest polling puts Zemmour at around 15 percent of the vote in the first round, with modelling estimating that he would lose to incumbent Emmanuel Macron by approximately 62 percent to 38 percent in a run-off between the two candidates. The poll also shows Le Pen would fare better but still lose, scoring 44 percent to Macron’s 56 percent.
