WASHINGTON: Accusations of an apparent Nazi salute by American conservative firebrand and Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon at a Washington convention led a French far-right leader to withdraw from the event on Friday.
Jordan Bardella, president of France鈥檚 anti-immigration National Rally (RN) party canceled a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) over a 鈥済esture alluding to Nazi ideology.鈥�
Bannon, a former adviser to US President Donald Trump, briefly held out a stiffened arm with his palm down at the conference on Thursday night as he called on the audience to 鈥渇ight, fight, fight.鈥�
He reacted with fury to Bardella鈥檚 withdrawal, calling the French politician 鈥渁 little boy, not a man鈥� and 鈥渦nworthy of leading France,鈥� in a video interview with French weekly Le Point.
He insisted his gesture was a 鈥渨ave鈥� that he has frequently used at conferences.
The incident came a month after Elon Musk, the world鈥檚 richest person and a key Trump ally, also made a hand gesture that drew comparisons to a Nazi salute.
Musk dismissed criticism at the time, saying on his X platform: 鈥淔rankly, they need better dirty tricks. The 鈥榚veryone is Hitler鈥� attack is sooo tired.鈥�

Bardella was not present when Bannon 鈥� one of the masterminds of Trump鈥檚 2016 presidential campaign 鈥� made the gesture.
鈥淚 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,鈥� Bardella said in a statement.
鈥淵esterday, 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,鈥� he said.
An adviser to Bardella confirmed to AFP that he was speaking about Bannon.
Bardella, 29, took over from Marine Le Pen as RN leader in 2022, but the two remain close allies.
The RN has in the past been accused of anti-Semitism and Le Pen has worked to make the party more acceptable.
It won a record number of parliament seats in an election last year and Le Pen is expected to be a strong contender in a 2027 presidential election.
Bannon has supported European nationalist parties such as the RN but also frequently courted controversy.
He spent nearly four months in federal prison last year for contempt of a Congress inquiry into the 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

鈥淗e鈥檚 unworthy,鈥� Bannon said of Bardella.
鈥淚f he canceled it over what the mainstream media said about the speech, he didn鈥檛 listen to the speech. If that鈥檚 true he鈥檚 unworthy to lead France. He鈥檚 a boy not a man,鈥� Bannon said in the interview released by Le Point.
Bannon said he did 鈥渢hat exact same wave鈥� at a conference of Le Pen鈥檚 party in France seven years ago.
鈥淚f he鈥檚 that worried about it and wets himself like a little child then he鈥檚 unworthy and will never lead France.鈥�
The Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish activist group, did not mention Bannon鈥檚 gesture but said in a post that Bannon has a 鈥渓ong and disturbing history of stoking antisemitism and hate, threatening violence, and empowering extremists.鈥�
It added: 鈥淲e are not surprised, but are concerned about the normalization of this behavior.鈥�