Ex-Obama aide Rhodes: Le Pen victory in France would be ‘devastating’

Former President Barack Obama’s deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes on Saturday said that a victory for right-wing politician Marine Le Pen in France’s presidential election would be “devastating.”

“A Le Pen victory would be devastating to any mainstream definition of US interests and values since WWII,” Rhodes tweeted.

A Le Pen victory would be devastating to any mainstream definition of US interests and values since WWII https://t.co/03CS0PSZ1i

— Ben Rhodes (@brhodes) April 22, 2017

In U.S. and parts of Europe, Le Pen has been criticized by left-leaning parties for her positions on border security, immigration and terrorism.

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President Trump, while not officially endorsing a candidate, expressed support for Le Pen this week, calling her the “strongest on borders” and “the strongest on what’s been going on in France.”

Meanwhile, Obama made a phone call to center-left French candidate Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, expressing support.

Macron, who is edging Le Pen in polls, shared the footage of the phone call on Twitter, thanking Obama for the call.

“Let’s keep defending our progressive values. Thank you for this discussion,” he tweeted.

Let’s keep defending our progressive values. Thank you for this discussion @BarackObama. pic.twitter.com/8rhNdHkLo8

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) April 20, 2017

The first round of voting in the French election will take place on Sunday. If no candidate secures a majority vote, the top two candidates will head to the runoff election on May 7. Macron and Le Pen are currently considered to be the two favorites in race.