French far-right leader Jordan Bardella abruptly canceled his scheduled speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington after Donald Trump’s former adviser, Steve Bannon, made a hand gesture that Bardella and others likened to a Nazi salute.
During his Thursday evening speech, Bannon shouted, “fight, fight, fight” while extending his right arm with fingers pointed and palm down. Bardella, who leads France’s National Rally party and was already in Washington for the event, announced he would withdraw from his Friday appearance, citing the gesture as a reference to “Nazi ideology.”
Bannon denied any Nazi connotation, calling the move a “wave” and asserting it was the same gesture he used seven years ago at a National Rally event in France.
“If he canceled [the speech] over what the mainstream media said about the speech, he didn’t listen to the speech. If that’s true, he’s unworthy to lead France. He’s a boy, not a man,” Bannon told French magazine Le Point.
Bannon’s hand gesture closely resembled one made by billionaire Elon Musk during Donald Trump’s inauguration in 2017, which also sparked controversy. Musk previously denied any Nazi association.
Bardella, seen as a strong contender for the French presidency, was among several prominent international politicians set to address CPAC. The event, which began Wednesday, also featured former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, who criticized the British government, and Argentine President Javier Milei, who handed Elon Musk a chainsaw on stage to symbolize drastic government cuts. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is expected to speak Saturday, followed by Trump.
CPAC has increasingly become a stronghold of Trump’s Make America Great Again movement, with this year’s gathering celebrating his November election victory. Speakers have praised the administration’s aggressive policy shifts since Trump’s return to office.
Bannon, who received a standing ovation for his speech, ended with a defiant message. “The only way that they win is if we retreat, and we are not going to retreat,” he declared. “We’re not going to surrender, we are not going to quit, we’re going to fight, fight, fight.”
A former top Trump adviser, Bannon was dismissed from the White House during Trump’s first term. He now hosts the influential War Room podcast, a key platform for Trump supporters. Bannon was released from prison in October after serving four months for defying a congressional subpoena related to the January 6th Capitol attack.
Source: Swifteradio.com
