"Nicolas Sarkozy, whose Paris corruption trial ended in September, responded to his accusers with the kind of bombast and fury that have long been Donald Trump's trademark. He likened himself to Alfred Dreyfus and Edmond Dantès, unjustly maligned heroes of French history and fiction. Trump went further during his own trials, invoking Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa-but he has always been prolific with his self-flattering analogies, having likened himself to Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Winston Churchill, and Elvis Presley."
"Sarkozy was convicted of conspiring to fund his 2007 campaign with millions of euros from Muammar Qaddafi, the former Libyan dictator. Unlike Trump, he was given a five-year sentence and went to prison. The humiliation led him to embrace the far right, a choice that may reverberate through French politics. The first former French president in modern history to serve time, he was released in November pending an appeal. He served three weeks at La Santé, a prison notorious for overcrowding, vermin, and violence."
France and the United States share historical parallels and recent institutional stress tests after trials of flamboyant ex-presidents. Nicolas Sarkozy responded to accusations with bombast and self-comparisons to historical figures, while Donald Trump has repeatedly likened himself to famous leaders and saints. Sarkozy was convicted of conspiring to fund his 2007 campaign with millions from Muammar Qaddafi, received a five-year sentence and served three weeks in La Santé before release pending appeal. The humiliation pushed him toward the far right. The French justice system endured sustained attacks and judged Sarkozy guilty of acts likely to undermine citizens' confidence in republican institutions.
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