What Marine Le Pen Has Said About Joe Biden

Marine Le Pen appears to be closer to winning the French presidency than ever before.

Five years after Emmanuel Macron handily beat her, the far-right candidate is seeking to unseat the incumbent in Sunday's runoff presidential election.

Although Macron remains the front-runner, polls show the gap between them is much narrower than in 2017.

The U.S. could face challenges if Le Pen emerges victorious, as a Le Pen presidency could bolster Russian interests and diminish NATO.

Le Pen has previously spoken of her admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, although she has sought to distance herself from Russia since it launched its invasion of Ukraine in February.

But what has Le Pen said about President Joe Biden?

Le Pen was among the first politicians to congratulate Donald Trump after his election victory in 2016.

But after Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 election, Le Pen refused to acknowledge his victory and referenced Trump's baseless claims of widespread voter fraud.

"I'm one of those who does not congratulate the future president of the United States, because I do not consider that the game has been played until extra time is over," she said, according to the AFP news agency.

Asked if she recognized his victory, she replied: "Absolutely not. Once again, I think that the game is not over and that when there are appeals, justice must be able to decide before deciding what comes out of the ballot box."

But in early January 2021, she conceded: "We have the right to challenge the results of an election in court. But from the moment the remedies are exhausted, we must respect this democratic process, recognize our defeat and the victory of Joe Biden."

Last year, Le Pen suggested Biden had humiliated Macron after he reportedly kept him waiting for their first meeting since a diplomatic row after the U.S. made a deal to sell submarines to Australia, undercutting a previous deal between Australia and France.

'Another Humiliation'

"In Rome, another humiliation for France: E Macron waited 1h30 for J Biden and got nothing to compensate for the betrayal of the submarine contract," Le Pen said in a tweet.

"I will make France respected by ensuring its independence: let's get out of NATO's integrated command."

After Biden called Putin a "war criminal" last month, Le Pen said she did not agree with his use of the term. "You do not negotiate peace by insulting one of the parties," she said on French television.