Washington’s Link to the French Far Right
Anyone in France seeking access to Donald Trump’s political entourage quickly learns one name: Jacob Helberg. The Franco-American under secretary of state has emerged as an influential informal link between Washington and France’s far right, as reported by the French newspaper Le Monde.
From Sarah Knafo to Marine Le Pen, those looking for proximity to Trumpist circles increasingly pass through Helberg. He has facilitated access to Trump events, dined with leaders of Reconquête! and the Rassemblement National, and held a discreet meeting with Le Pen in Paris. Officially, this is framed as “keeping communication channels open.” In reality, it resembles ideological networking within the group of Trump supporters.
This is not incidental. Under Trump, Washington increasingly views parts of Europe’s far right as potential allies. Helberg, French-speaking, well connected, and deeply embedded in Trumpist political and tech networks, fits this role perfectly. His own trajectory reflects the shift: once a Democratic donor shaped by Silicon, he moved rightward after the pandemic and climate debates, embraced Trump, and was rewarded with a senior post at the State Department.
From that position, Helberg has intervened rhetorically in French politics, describing legal proceedings against Marine Le Pen as “judicial harassment” and warning that “the world is watching” her trial. In Paris, such language was widely read as pressure rather than neutral observation.
Helberg is a sign of a broader transformation. American influence is no longer exercised mainly through institutions or treaties, but through personal networks, ideology, and informal envoys. The line between diplomacy and partisan politics is fading. What is emerging is not a curiosity, but a growing convergence between Trumpism and Europe’s far right.