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Molly Butler / Media Matters

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American right-wing media celebrate far-right European electoral success

Written by Gideon Taaffe

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After the European Union Parliament — the legislative branch of the 27-member trade bloc — held elections Sunday that resulted in large electoral gains for far-right parties, right-wing media touted the results as good news for Republicans. Conservative media figures claim the results signify “a fundamental political shift” with regard to immigration that will be echoed in the U.S. and could help the GOP win in upcoming elections. 

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  • Far-right parties gained power in EU Parliament elections

    • EU elections resulted in huge gains for far-right parties. In Germany, the far-right party Alternative for Germany won the second highest number of seats after the center-right party in the EU Parliament elections. In France, the National Rally party, led by Marine Le Pen, got more than double the percentage of the vote received by President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Renaissance party. [The Associated Press, 6/10/24]
    • Despite far-right gains in the EU Parliament, centrist parties still hold a majority. The center-right party, European People's Party Group, remains the dominant party with 186 seats. The second most popular party is the center-left party, Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, which lost four seats for a new total of 135 seats. [The Associated Press, 6/10/24; European Union, European Parliament 2024-2029 Provisional Results, 6/10/24]
    • Right-wing victories could reshape legislative priorities in the EU. Environmental reforms are expected to be harder to pass and there is an increased likelihood of the EU adopting stricter anti-immigration policies. [CNBC, 6/9/24]

  • Right-wing media suggested EU Parliament elections are good news for conservatives in America

    • On War Room, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon declared, “Europe is on fire with the right.” War Room correspondent Ben Harnwell added, “There’s clearly an undercurrent that’s moving in our direction.” [Real America’s Voice, War Room, 6/10/24]
    • Right-wing news site The Daily Caller published an op-ed titled “Sleeping MAGA Giant Of Europe Finally Awakens, And The Global Left Could Not Be More Terrified.” The outlet wrote: “Americans should take these elections as a promising sign; defeat is not inevitable, and the restoration of greatness is never more than a generation away.” [The Daily Caller, 6/10/24]
    • Conservative outlet Washington Examiner wrote, “Survey finds right-wing surge in EU election results driven by similar concerns to US voters.” The article compared the EU election results to Brexit, writing, “The impressive showing of the Right brought back memories of 2016, when the successful Brexit vote served as a precursor to former President Donald Trump’s victory.” [Washington Examiner, 6/10/24]
    • OutKick host Tomi Lahren posted on X (formerly Twitter): “The EU shift towards the right is promising.” She also compared the election with the 2016 Brexit vote, “Remember that Brexit was a great precursor to Trump’s victory here in 2016. The world is sick of woke shit!” [Twitter/X, 6/10/24]
    • Conservative radio host Bill Mitchell: “If Europe is the canary in the coalmine, Democrats are going to be wiped out in November.” [Twitter/X, 6/10/24]
    • Conservative Political Action Conference chairperson Matt Schlapp reacted to the EU Parliament election results on Newsmax, saying, “This is a great day for what we believe in, with groups like CPAC, with the results in Europe.” Schlapp also seemed to use the European election results to argue that the GOP should fall in line behind Trump: “The kind of establishment center-right parties in most of these European countries, akin to the Republican Party, … [are] suffering from this idea of going along with the left but less. So it’s the same problem we have here in the Republican Party. You have Republicans that are still unsure if they want to have a full embrace of Trump.” [Newsmax, The National Report, 6/10/24]
    • During an appearance on Newsmax, conservative activist Tim Parrish praised right-wing success in EU elections and said, “We're going to see that here in the United States as well.” Parrish claimed, “More conservative policies are starting to take root as people, just like we are here in the United States, are dealing with mass immigration and crime and things that are impacting their communities. Policies that are a little more conservative are starting to take root in these areas, and we’re seeing that in not only in France and across the world, but we’re going to see that in the United States as well.” [Newsmax, The National Report, 6/10/24]

  • Right-wing media praised far-right anti-immigrant rhetoric

    • Fox News host Laura Ingraham claimed the EU elections showed that “globalists, for the most part, are on the run,” and that, “people are tired of the mass migration.” She added, “But the media are still clinging to this notion of globalism. They don’t understand Americans’ feelings on this [immigration].” [Fox News, The Ingraham Angle, 6/10/24]
    • The Daily Wire host Michael Knowles called the election a “fundamental political shift” because “these elections are about migration,” saying, “I’m hopeful that this is what we’re seeing in Europe now: a sign of things to come in America.” Knowles claimed the “right is rising in Europe” and the U.S. due to “migration,” adding, “People don't like their country being flooded with foreigners.” [The Daily Wire, The Michael Knowles Show, 6/10/24]
    • Students for Trump founder Ryan Fournier posted on X that the right won in Europe because “they don’t want their countries to look like ours.” “Enough is enough!” he added. [Twitter/X, 6/9/24]
    • Right-wing commentator Ian Miles Cheong reacted, writing, “Save Europe, while it can still be saved from foreign invaders.” He claimed if immigration is not curbed, Europe “will see civil war.” [Twitter/X, 6/9/24]