Trump ally Bannon’s ‘Nazi gesture’ prompts France far-right leader to cancel US speech
Bannon briefly held out a stiff arm at the Conservative Political Action Conference as he called on the audience to ‘fight, fight, fight’
France’s far-right leader Jordan Bardella said Friday he had cancelled his speech at a right-wing meeting in Washington after a “gesture alluding to Nazi ideology” by conservative firebrand Steve Bannon.
The president of France’s National Rally (RN) party, who is in the US capital, said he was not present when Bannon – one of the masterminds behind US President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign – made a gesture that has been described as a Nazi salute on Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
Bannon briefly held out a stiff arm at the conference as he called on the audience to “fight, fight, fight”.
“I had been invited … to make a speech on the links between the United States and France, as well as the recent electoral dynamic of patriot parties in Europe,” Bardella said in a statement.
“Yesterday, while I was not present in the room, one of the speakers out of provocation allowed himself a gesture alluding to Nazi ideology. I therefore took the immediate decision to cancel my speech that had been scheduled this afternoon,” he said.
An adviser to Bardella confirmed to Agence France-Presse that he was speaking about Bannon.
