Public disputes concerning French politics, government, law, public institutions and domestic policy.
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Announcing his 2027 presidential run on TF1, Éric Zemmour said his convictions for racial insult and incitement to hatred were for an opinion offense under a law he would abolish. Anchor Gilles Bouleau answered that racism is not an opinion.
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73 matching statements
Role at the time: Spokesperson for the Rassemblement national and for Marine Le Pen, in a post on X
Statement summary
In a post on X, Kotarac, a spokesperson for the RN and for Marine Le Pen, says Les Écologistes leader Marine Tondelier is covering herself in shame by directly accusing the RN over the attack, calls her claims fake news and says the party is bringing legal proceedings against her.
Quotation excerpt
“By directly accusing @RNational_off of the racist attack in #Trappes, Ms. Tondelier is covering herself in shame. I am informing you that we are bringing legal proceedings against this person and her fake news. (Translated from French.…”
“By directly accusing @RNational_off of the racist attack in #Trappes, Ms. Tondelier is covering herself in shame. I am informing you that we are bringing legal proceedings against this person and her fake news. (Translated from French. Original: En accusant directement le @RNational_off de l'attentat raciste de #Trappes, Madame Tondelier se couvre de honte. Je vous informe que nous engageons une procédure judiciaire contre cette personne et ses fakenews.)”
What this label refers to
The reference point is the public rhetoric of Rassemblement national leaders and other far-right politicians about Trappes, Muslims and immigrants, which Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh holds responsible for the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière. Kotarac calls the accusation that the RN is responsible for the attack fake news and announces legal action against the person making it, which denies that the party bears responsibility.
Role at the time: National secretary of Les Écologistes and presidential candidate, on franceinfo's Nos Services Publics
Response to this claim
Rassemblement national leaders bear direct responsibility for the gunman's decision to carry out the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière.
Quotation excerpt
“It is up to the Rassemblement national to explain itself rather than to take me to court ... They must draw the consequences (Translated from French. Original: C'est au Rassemblement national de s'expliquer plutôt que de m'attaquer en…”
“It is up to the Rassemblement national to explain itself rather than to take me to court ... They must draw the consequences (Translated from French. Original: C'est au Rassemblement national de s'expliquer plutôt que de m'attaquer en justice ... Il faut qu'ils en tirent les conséquences)”
The reference point is the public rhetoric of Rassemblement national leaders and other far-right politicians about Trappes, Muslims and immigrants, which Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh holds responsible for the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière. Tondelier says the RN has failed to explain itself after the attack and must draw the consequences, and that evening says words spoken on television can precede acts and serve as ammunition, which condemns the party's rhetoric.
Role at the time: Mayor of Trappes, interviewed on franceinfo
Response to this claim
Rassemblement national leaders bear direct responsibility for the gunman's decision to carry out the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière.
Quotation excerpt
“Words always come before acts ... We cannot let our public debate be rotted by extremely violent words (Translated from French. Original: Les mots précèdent toujours les actes ... Nous ne pouvons pas laisser notre débat public pourri par…”
“Words always come before acts ... We cannot let our public debate be rotted by extremely violent words (Translated from French. Original: Les mots précèdent toujours les actes ... Nous ne pouvons pas laisser notre débat public pourri par des mots extrêmement violents)”
The reference point is the public rhetoric of Rassemblement national leaders and other far-right politicians about Trappes, Muslims and immigrants, which Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh holds responsible for the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière. Rabeh says the rhetoric of RN officials and of CNews led to the attack and has continued since, which condemns that rhetoric.
Role at the time: New York Post columnist, in an opinion column
Response to this claim
Houellebecq's 2022 remarks about Muslims contain no exhortation, even implicit, and therefore fall within freedom of opinion and expression.
“The man who defends his nation's spirit and integrity is treated as a greater threat than the man who burns that culture to the ground.”
The reference point is Michel Houellebecq's November 2022 remarks about Muslims in Front Populaire, now under judicial investigation. Schlott treats the remarks as legitimate criticism of Islam and immigration and describes Houellebecq as a man who defends his nation's spirit, which defends them. She goes beyond disputing the incitement label, so challenges the characterization does not fit.
Role at the time: French-Syrian writer and journalist, in an opinion column in Le Figaro
Response to this claim
Houellebecq's 2022 remarks about Muslims contain no exhortation, even implicit, and therefore fall within freedom of opinion and expression.
“It was a forecast, the vision of a future in which such violence would take place (Translated from French. Original: C'était une prospective, la vision d'un avenir où de telles violences auraient lieu)”
The reference point is Michel Houellebecq's November 2022 remarks about Muslims in Front Populaire, now under judicial investigation. Souleimane describes the passage on attacks against Muslims as a forecast rather than the provocation the complaints allege, which challenges the characterization. He does not argue that the remarks about Muslims were justified, so defends or excuses does not fit.
Role at the time: President of SOS Racisme, interviewed on RTL Matin
Statement summary
On RTL the morning after Zemmour's announcement, Sopo calls his candidacy a republican problem, says Zemmour was convicted for remarks of incredible violence, including at the 2019 Convention de la droite, and argues that remarks portraying Black people, Arabs, Muslims and foreigners as existential dangers give license to serious violence.
Quotation excerpt
“These remarks give license to extremely serious acts. ... I am not saying that Éric Zemmour has blood on his hands: I am saying that he may have it on his conscience, if he has one (Translated from French. Original: Ces propos autorisent…”
“These remarks give license to extremely serious acts. ... I am not saying that Éric Zemmour has blood on his hands: I am saying that he may have it on his conscience, if he has one (Translated from French. Original: Ces propos autorisent des passages à l'acte extrêmement graves. ... Je ne dis pas qu'Éric Zemmour a du sang sur les mains : je dis qu'il en a peut-être sur la conscience, si tant est qu'il en ait une)”
What this label refers to
The reference point is the remarks for which French courts have definitively convicted Éric Zemmour of racial insult and incitement to hatred. Sopo describes the remarks behind Zemmour's convictions, including his 2019 Convention de la droite speech, as very racist and incredibly violent, and says such remarks give license to serious acts of violence, which condemns them.
Role at the time: French anti-racism association and civil party in the case, commenting to Le Nouvel Obs
Response to this claim
The wish of France's native-born population is not for Muslims to assimilate but for them to stop robbing and attacking them, or else, as another solution, for them to leave.
Quotation excerpt
“We never considered that these explanations held up; withdrawing our complaint was never in question (Translated from French. Original: Nous n'avons jamais considéré que ces explications tenaient la route, il n'a jamais été question de…”
“We never considered that these explanations held up; withdrawing our complaint was never in question (Translated from French. Original: Nous n'avons jamais considéré que ces explications tenaient la route, il n'a jamais été question de retirer notre plainte)”
The reference point is Michel Houellebecq's November 2022 remarks about Muslims in Front Populaire, now under judicial investigation. The MRAP rejects the explanations Houellebecq gave for the remarks, maintains its criminal complaint over them and welcomes the investigation, which condemns them.
Role at the time: Lawyer for the Union des mosquées de France, a complainant in the case, speaking to AFP
Response to this claim
Houellebecq's 2022 remarks about Muslims contain no exhortation, even implicit, and therefore fall within freedom of opinion and expression.
“Freedom of expression is fundamental, but it cannot justify everything (Translated from French. Original: La liberté d'expression est fondamentale mais elle ne saurait tout justifier)”
The reference point is Michel Houellebecq's November 2022 remarks about Muslims in Front Populaire, now under judicial investigation. Speaking for the federation whose complaint led to the investigation, El Haïté rejects the defense that the remarks are protected expression, which condemns them. She leaves the finding to the court and cites the presumption of innocence, but that is a legal caveat rather than a condition on her client's position, so mixed or conditional does not fit.
Role at the time: Lawyer for Michel Houellebecq, in a statement with his co-counsel Louis Cailliez to BFMTV and AFP
Response to this claim
Houellebecq's 2022 remarks about Muslims contain no exhortation, even implicit, and therefore fall within freedom of opinion and expression.
Quotation excerpt
“Michel Houellebecq contests the criminal offense of which he is accused. The remarks at issue contain no element of exhortation, even implicit, and therefore fall within freedom of opinion and expression (Translated from French. Original:…”
“Michel Houellebecq contests the criminal offense of which he is accused. The remarks at issue contain no element of exhortation, even implicit, and therefore fall within freedom of opinion and expression (Translated from French. Original: Michel Houellebecq conteste le délit pénal qui lui est reproché. Les propos incriminés ne contiennent pas de dimension d'exhortation, même implicite, et relèvent donc de la liberté d'opinion et d'expression)”
The reference point is Michel Houellebecq's November 2022 remarks about Muslims in Front Populaire, now under judicial investigation. His lawyers dispute that the remarks amount to incitement, saying they contain no exhortation and belong to free expression, which challenges the characterization. They do not argue that the content of the remarks was right, so defends or excuses does not fit.
Role at the time: President of the Rassemblement national, on BFMTV's Face à BFM
Response to this claim
Rassemblement national leaders bear direct responsibility for the gunman's decision to carry out the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière.
Quotation excerpt
“left-wing and far-left leaders putting fatwas and targets on the backs of political figures like the mayor of Trappes, and Mr. Mélenchon did it to us ... I have the right to point the finger at and to want to fight an ideology that,…”
“left-wing and far-left leaders putting fatwas and targets on the backs of political figures like the mayor of Trappes, and Mr. Mélenchon did it to us ... I have the right to point the finger at and to want to fight an ideology that, precisely in Trappes, sent several dozen young people to fight in Syria in the name of the Islamic State (Translated from French. Original: des dirigeants de gauche et d'extrême gauche mettre des fatwas et des cibles sur le dos de responsable politiques comme le maire de Trappes, et Monsieur Mélenchon l'a fait avec nous ... J'ai le droit de pointer du doigt et de vouloir combattre une idéologie qui précisément à Trappes a envoyé plusieurs dizaines de jeunes combattre en Syrie au nom de l'État islamique)”
The reference point is the public rhetoric of Rassemblement national leaders and other far-right politicians about Trappes, Muslims and immigrants, which Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh holds responsible for the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière. Bardella says he has the right to point at the ideology he associates with Trappes and accuses his critics of putting targets on politicians' backs, which defends his rhetoric about the town.
Role at the time: National secretary of the French Communist Party (PCF) and its 2027 presidential candidate
Statement summary
As Zemmour announced his candidacy on TF1, Roussel posted that Zemmour wants to lead the Republic after several convictions for racist remarks and repeated his call to make politicians convicted of racism ineligible.
Quotation excerpt
“Éric Zemmour wants to preside over the Republic after being convicted several times for racist remarks. I have been saying it for a long time: politicians convicted of racism should be made ineligible. (Translated from French. Original:…”
“Éric Zemmour wants to preside over the Republic after being convicted several times for racist remarks. I have been saying it for a long time: politicians convicted of racism should be made ineligible. (Translated from French. Original: Éric Zemmour veut présider la République après avoir été condamné à plusieurs reprises pour propos racistes. Je le dis depuis longtemps : les responsables politiques condamnés pour racisme devraient être rendus inéligibles.)”
What this label refers to
The reference point is the remarks for which French courts have definitively convicted Éric Zemmour of racial insult and incitement to hatred. Roussel describes the remarks behind Zemmour's convictions as racist and says politicians convicted of racism should be barred from office, which condemns the remarks. His call for ineligibility is a proposed remedy; the label rests on his description of the remarks as racist and his view that they disqualify a candidate.
Role at the time: Anchor and editor-in-chief of TF1's evening news, Le 20H, interviewing Zemmour on air
Response to this claim
Éric Zemmour's convictions for racial insult and incitement to hatred are for opinion offenses, not racism, under a law that lets judges restrict freedom of expression.
Quotation excerpt
“It is the application of the law ... you committed punishable offenses ... Racism is not an opinion. (Translated from French. Original: C'est l'application du droit ... vous avez commis des délits répréhensibles ... Le racisme n'est pas une…”
“It is the application of the law ... you committed punishable offenses ... Racism is not an opinion. (Translated from French. Original: C'est l'application du droit ... vous avez commis des délits répréhensibles ... Le racisme n'est pas une opinion.)”
The reference point is the remarks for which French courts have definitively convicted Éric Zemmour of racial insult and incitement to hatred. Bouleau tells Zemmour he committed punishable offenses and answers his description of them as an opinion offense by saying racism is not an opinion, which criticizes the remarks themselves as racism. He does more than dispute a description: he presents the convictions as the law applied to racist remarks.
Role at the time: President of Reconquête and presidential candidate, interviewed on TF1's Le 20H
Response to this claim
Éric Zemmour's convictions for racial insult and incitement to hatred are for opinion offenses, not racism, under a law that lets judges restrict freedom of expression.
Quotation excerpt
“I am the victim of judicial harassment ... This is not racism, it has nothing to do with it. That is how judges interpret a freedom-killing law that I will abolish if I am president, because it allows judges to ban freedom of expression…”
“I am the victim of judicial harassment ... This is not racism, it has nothing to do with it. That is how judges interpret a freedom-killing law that I will abolish if I am president, because it allows judges to ban freedom of expression (Translated from French. Original: Je suis victime d'un harcèlement judiciaire ... Ce n'est pas du racisme, ça n'a rien à voir. Les juges interprètent ainsi une loi liberticide que j'abolirai si je suis président, parce que ça permet aux juges d'interdire la liberté d'expression)”
The reference point is the remarks for which French courts have definitively convicted Éric Zemmour of racial insult and incitement to hatred. Zemmour says the remarks are not racism, calls his convictions an opinion offense and pledges to abolish the law under which judges punished them. Because he goes beyond rejecting the racism label and presents the remarks as acceptable speech that the law should not punish, this is a defense of the remarks rather than only a dispute over how they are described.
Role at the time: French human-rights organization, in a joint statement with the student unions Unef and USL
Response to this claim
Laurent Nuñez is responsible for serious injuries to protesters because he ordered police to use weapons he knew could mutilate.
Quotation excerpt
“He even went so far as to argue that the first ones hurt by these mutilations would be the police themselves, those who use their weapons. Faced with young people who have lost an eye or been seriously injured, such a statement is indecent.…”
“He even went so far as to argue that the first ones hurt by these mutilations would be the police themselves, those who use their weapons. Faced with young people who have lost an eye or been seriously injured, such a statement is indecent. (Translated from French. Original: Il est allé jusqu'à avancer que les premiers meurtris de ces mutilations seraient les forces de l'ordre elles-mêmes, celles qui font usage de leurs armes. Face à des jeunes qui ont perdu un œil ou ont été grièvement touchés, une telle déclaration est indécente.)”
The reference point is the use of crowd-control weapons such as grenades by French police and gendarmes, under Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez's orders, that seriously injured protesters since mid-September 2026. The LDH and the unions say the minister denies documented police violence, describe the injuries as resembling war wounds and call his remark indecent, which condemns the use of force under scrutiny.
Role at the time: French minister of the interior, at a press briefing at the Interior Ministry in Paris
Response to this claim
Laurent Nuñez is responsible for serious injuries to protesters because he ordered police to use weapons he knew could mutilate.
Quotation excerpt
“I regret that there were these injuries, I truly and very sincerely regret it, but every time police officers or gendarmes use force, it is because they are acting within a legal and regulatory framework (Translated from French. Original:…”
“I regret that there were these injuries, I truly and very sincerely regret it, but every time police officers or gendarmes use force, it is because they are acting within a legal and regulatory framework (Translated from French. Original: Je regrette qu'il y ait eu ces blessés, je regrette vraiment et très sincèrement, mais chaque fois que les policiers ou gendarmes engagent la force, c'est qu'ils sont dans un cadre légal et réglementaire)”
The reference point is the use of crowd-control weapons such as grenades by French police and gendarmes, under Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez's orders, that seriously injured protesters since mid-September 2026. Nuñez expresses regret for the injuries but says every use of force by police and gendarmes stays within the legal framework and calls intermediate weapons indispensable, which defends the use of force under scrutiny.
Role at the time: Paris lawyer for injured protesters and LDH vice president, at a press conference in Paris
Response to this claim
Laurent Nuñez is responsible for serious injuries to protesters because he ordered police to use weapons he knew could mutilate.
Quotation excerpt
“We now believe it is imperative to target the person responsible for the mutilations and the massive damage, namely the interior minister, Laurent Nuñez (Translated from French. Original: nous pensons aujourd'hui qu'il est impératif de…”
“We now believe it is imperative to target the person responsible for the mutilations and the massive damage, namely the interior minister, Laurent Nuñez (Translated from French. Original: nous pensons aujourd'hui qu'il est impératif de viser celui qui est à l'origine des mutilations et des dégâts massifs, à savoir le ministre de l'Intérieur Laurent Nuñez)”
The reference point is the use of crowd-control weapons such as grenades by French police and gendarmes, under Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez's orders, that seriously injured protesters since mid-September 2026. Alimi holds Nuñez personally responsible for the injuries and says the lawyers will seek his prosecution, which condemns the use of force under scrutiny.
Role at the time: Rassemblement national deputy for the Var and party spokesperson, in a post on X
Response to this claim
Rassemblement national leaders bear direct responsibility for the gunman's decision to carry out the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière.
Quotation excerpt
“I denounced on @BFMTV the indecent lies of Ms. Tondelier, who is ready to do the worst in order to exist. The RN is totally innocent of the Trappes tragedy. (Translated from French. Original: J'ai dénoncé @BFMTV les mensonges indécents de…”
“I denounced on @BFMTV the indecent lies of Ms. Tondelier, who is ready to do the worst in order to exist. The RN is totally innocent of the Trappes tragedy. (Translated from French. Original: J'ai dénoncé @BFMTV les mensonges indécents de Mme Tondelier, prête au pire pour exister. Le RN est totalement innocent de la tragédie de Trappes.)”
The reference point is the public rhetoric of Rassemblement national leaders and other far-right politicians about Trappes, Muslims and immigrants, which Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh holds responsible for the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière. Lavalette says the RN is totally innocent of the attack and calls the accusation against it lies, which denies that the party bears responsibility.
Role at the time: Mayor of Trappes, speaking at a rally against racism in Trappes
Response to this claim
Rassemblement national leaders bear direct responsibility for the gunman's decision to carry out the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière.
Quotation excerpt
“The Rassemblement national has ensured the transmission of hatred across the decades ... When Jordan Bardella describes Trappes as 'an Islamic Republic in miniature'; when he urges his supporters to 'give Trappes back to France' (...), what…”
“The Rassemblement national has ensured the transmission of hatred across the decades ... When Jordan Bardella describes Trappes as 'an Islamic Republic in miniature'; when he urges his supporters to 'give Trappes back to France' (...), what is he doing other than pushing his troops to act? (Translated from French. Original: Le Rassemblement national a assuré la transmission de la haine à travers les décennies ... Quand Jordan Bardella décrit Trappes comme 'une République islamique en miniature' ; quand il exhorte les siens à 'rendre Trappes à la France' (...), que fait-il d'autre que de presser ses troupes à passer à l'acte ?)”
The reference point is the public rhetoric of Rassemblement national leaders and other far-right politicians about Trappes, Muslims and immigrants, which Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh holds responsible for the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière. Rabeh says the RN's descriptions of Trappes push its supporters to act and that its leaders bear direct responsibility for the attack, which condemns that rhetoric.
Role at the time: Electronic Frontier Foundation, published analysis
Statement summary
EFF argues that forcing privacy-focused infrastructure providers to police copyright predictably drives services out of markets.
“Forcing a responsible privacy service out of an important market is a predictable result of trying to force infrastructure providers to be copyright police.”
What this label refers to
Relative to court-ordered DNS blocking, EFF expressly criticizes compelling infrastructure providers to act as copyright enforcers.
Role at the time: Prime Minister of France, answering questions to the government in the National Assembly
Statement summary
Answering questions in the National Assembly four days after the attack, the Prime Minister calls it a terrorist and racist attack and says he makes his own the mayor of Trappes's words about speeches that arm those capable of acting. Later in the session he accuses left-wing deputies of political profiteering and says that in believing they are fighting racism they are playing into the hands of the far right and the RN.
Quotation excerpt
“For several days, the mayor of Trappes has been repeating the right words. ... I make those words entirely my own. ... Everything smells of political profiteering, everything bears the mark of indignity. ... Believing you are fighting…”
“For several days, the mayor of Trappes has been repeating the right words. ... I make those words entirely my own. ... Everything smells of political profiteering, everything bears the mark of indignity. ... Believing you are fighting racism, you are playing into the hands of the far right and the Rassemblement national (Translated from French. Original: Depuis plusieurs jours, le maire de Trappes répète des mots justes. ... Ces mots, je les fais entièrement miens. ... Tout sent le recel politicien, tout marque l'indignité. ... Croyant combattre le racisme, vous faites le jeu de l'extrême droite et du Rassemblement national)”
What this label refers to
The reference point is the public rhetoric of Rassemblement national leaders and other far-right politicians about Trappes, Muslims and immigrants, which Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh holds responsible for the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière. Lecornu adopts Rabeh's warning that speeches can arm people capable of violence, which accepts the mayor's point about rhetoric without naming the RN. He also accuses the left of exploiting the attack and of helping the far right. The two parts point in different directions, so we treated the statement as mixed.
Role at the time: Mayor of Trappes, at a press conference at the National Assembly organized by the Ecologist and Social group
Response to this claim
Rassemblement national leaders bear direct responsibility for the gunman's decision to carry out the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière.
Quotation excerpt
“the eloquent absence of Marine Le Pen, the far-right party's candidate, who clearly could not manage to meet the gaze of Pengo's family ... There are not, I believe, in this Assembly, representatives of other ideologies that kill.…”
“the eloquent absence of Marine Le Pen, the far-right party's candidate, who clearly could not manage to meet the gaze of Pengo's family ... There are not, I believe, in this Assembly, representatives of other ideologies that kill. (Translated from French. Original: l'absence éloquente de Marine Le Pen, la candidate du parti d'extrême droite qui n'a manifestement pas réussi à soutenir le regard de la famille de Pengo ... Il n'y a pas, je crois, dans cette Assemblée, de représentants d'autres idéologies qui font des morts.)”
The reference point is the public rhetoric of Rassemblement national leaders and other far-right politicians about Trappes, Muslims and immigrants, which Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh holds responsible for the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière. Rabeh describes the far right represented by the RN as an ideology that kills and calls for it to be isolated in the Assembly, which condemns that rhetoric and its authors.
Role at the time: La France insoumise member of the European Parliament, in posts on X and Bluesky
Statement summary
In posts on X and Bluesky three days after the attack, the La France insoumise MEP says Marine Le Pen has blood on her hands, says RN material was found in the investigation into the suspect, and warns that millions of people would be in mortal danger if Le Pen took power.
Quotation excerpt
“Marine Le Pen has blood on her hands after the racist attack in Trappes. RN party material was found by the investigation into the suspect. If she takes power, millions of our fellow citizens will be in mortal danger. (Translated from…”
“Marine Le Pen has blood on her hands after the racist attack in Trappes. RN party material was found by the investigation into the suspect. If she takes power, millions of our fellow citizens will be in mortal danger. (Translated from French. Original: Marine Le Pen a du sang sur les mains après l'attentat raciste de Trappes. Du matériel militant du RN a été retrouvé par l'enquête visant le suspect. Si elle prend le pouvoir, des millions de concitoyens vont être en danger de mort.)”
What this label refers to
The reference point is the public rhetoric of Rassemblement national leaders and other far-right politicians about Trappes, Muslims and immigrants, which Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh holds responsible for the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière. Aubry holds Marine Le Pen responsible for the attack and warns of the danger her coming to power would pose, which condemns the RN leader and her party's role.
Role at the time: Rassemblement national senator for the Gironde, on BFMTV's BFM Grand Soir
Response to this claim
Rassemblement national leaders bear direct responsibility for the gunman's decision to carry out the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière.
Quotation excerpt
“Well, yes, absolutely. That is what Jordan Bardella said a few years ago. ... There is nothing reprehensible in what we said. (Translated from French. Original: Et bien, oui, absolument. C'est ce que Jordan Bardella avait dit il y a…”
“Well, yes, absolutely. That is what Jordan Bardella said a few years ago. ... There is nothing reprehensible in what we said. (Translated from French. Original: Et bien, oui, absolument. C'est ce que Jordan Bardella avait dit il y a quelques années. ... Dans nos propos, il n'y a rien de répréhensible.)”
The reference point is the public rhetoric of Rassemblement national leaders and other far-right politicians about Trappes, Muslims and immigrants, which Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh holds responsible for the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière. Diaz says the description of Trappes as an Islamist republic in miniature contains nothing reprehensible, which defends that rhetoric.
Role at the time: Rassemblement national spokesperson and deputy for the Yonne, interviewed on Sud Radio
Response to this claim
Rassemblement national leaders bear direct responsibility for the gunman's decision to carry out the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière.
Quotation excerpt
“All of this is delirium. All of this is delirium and these remarks are vile, it must be said. As for the mayor of Trappes, Mr. Ali Rabeh, this tragedy is not going to make him an eminent republican. (Translated from French. Original: Tout…”
“All of this is delirium. All of this is delirium and these remarks are vile, it must be said. As for the mayor of Trappes, Mr. Ali Rabeh, this tragedy is not going to make him an eminent republican. (Translated from French. Original: Tout cela est du délire. Tout cela est du délire et ces propos sont immondes, il faut bien le dire. Concernant le maire de Trappes, M. Ali Rabeh, ce n'est pas ce drame qui va faire de lui un éminent républicain.)”
The reference point is the public rhetoric of Rassemblement national leaders and other far-right politicians about Trappes, Muslims and immigrants, which Trappes mayor Ali Rabeh holds responsible for the October 23, 2026 racist attack in Trappes and La Verrière. Odoul calls the accusation that his party bears responsibility for the attack delirious, which denies it, and says talking about immigration endangers no one.
Andréa Kotarac is a French politician of the Rassemblement national who presides over the party's group on the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regional council and is a spokesperson for the RN and for Marine Le Pen. Born in 1989 in Thonon-les-Bains, he began on the left, in the Socialist Party, the Parti de gauche and La France insoumise, before backing the RN in the 2019 European elections. He led the RN's list in the 2021 regional elections.
1 case and 1 statement
Marine Tondelier is a French politician who has been national secretary of Les Écologistes, the party formerly called Europe Écologie Les Verts, since 2022. Born in 1986, she grew up in Hénin-Beaumont, where she has sat on the municipal council in opposition since 2014, and she has been a regional councillor in Hauts-de-France since 2021. She is the party's candidate in the 2027 presidential election.
1 case and 1 statement
Ali Rabeh is a French politician who is the mayor of Trappes, a town in the Yvelines department west of Paris. He was first elected mayor in 2020.
2 cases and 6 statements
Rikki Schlott is an American journalist and author. She writes a column for the New York Post, is a fellow at the Cato Institute, co-wrote The Canceling of the American Mind with Greg Lukianoff and wrote Nothing Serious, a book about dating and relationships among young people.
1 case and 1 statement
Omar Youssef Souleimane is a Syrian-born French journalist, poet and writer, born in 1987 near Damascus. His books, published by Flammarion and Plon, include Le Petit Terroriste, Le Dernier Syrien, Être français, Les Complices du mal and Les Héritiers de la haine.
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Dominique Sopo is a French teacher and anti-racism activist who has been president of SOS Racisme, the anti-racism association founded in 1984, from 2003 to 2012 and again since 2014. Born in Valenciennes in 1976, he teaches at a high school and at Sciences Po and is a former member of the Socialist Party. He has written books on racism, including Le racisme tue toujours (2026).
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Najwa El Haïté is a French lawyer at the Paris bar whose practice covers criminal, business and family law as well as discrimination and secularism cases. She comments on legal and political questions on French television and in 2026 published Maître, sortez-moi de là !, a book about her work.
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Thibault de Montbrial is a French lawyer at the Paris bar. He is the president of the Centre de réflexion sur la sécurité intérieure (CRSI), a think tank on domestic security, and a reserve lieutenant colonel in the Gendarmerie.
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Jordan Bardella is a French politician who has led the Rassemblement national, France's main far-right party, since 2021, first as acting president and, since November 2022, as its elected president. Born in 1995 in Drancy, he joined the Front national in 2012 and was its spokesperson from 2017 to 2019. He has been a member of the European Parliament since 2019 and has led the Patriots for Europe group there since 2024.
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Fabien Roussel is a French politician who has been national secretary of the French Communist Party (PCF) since 2018. Born in Béthune in 1969, he represented the Nord department's 20th constituency in the National Assembly from 2017 to 2024. He was the PCF's candidate in the 2022 presidential election, finishing eighth with 2.28 percent of the vote, and is the party's candidate for the 2027 election.
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Gilles Bouleau is a French television journalist who has presented TF1's weekday evening news, Le 20H, since June 2012 and is its editor-in-chief. Born in Paris in 1962, he worked for years as a reporter for TF1 and LCI and spent a decade abroad as a correspondent in London and then Washington. He headed TF1's special operations from 2011 before succeeding Laurence Ferrari as the evening news anchor.
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Éric Zemmour is a French writer, former journalist and politician who founded the far-right party Reconquête in 2021 and is its president. Born in 1958 in Montreuil, he worked as a political journalist at Le Quotidien de Paris and Le Figaro, then became a widely followed radio and television commentator on outlets including RTL, Paris Première and CNews. He has written several best-selling essays, among them Le Suicide français (2014). He ran for president in 2022 and finished fourth in the first round with 7.07 percent of the vote. He has been prosecuted many times over his public remarks and has been convicted of offenses including racial insult and incitement to hatred.
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