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French far-right leader Le Pen spotted at Trump Tower

by Jordan Fabian - 01/12/17 11:50 AM ET

French National Front leader Marine Le Pen was spotted Thursday at Trump Tower in New York.

Approached by reporters while having coffee in the lobby of President-elect Donald Trump’s Manhattan building, Le Pen declined to say whether she was visiting in a personal or professional capacity, according to pool reports.

{mosads} Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks told a pool reporter that Le Pen “is not meeting with anyone from our team.”

Still, Le Pen’s presence at Trump Tower grabbed attention. It comes roughly three months before France’s presidential election, a contest that the far-right figure leads in new polling.

Le Pen has lavished praise on Trump, saying during a November press conference his victory is a “sign of hope” that “shows that people are taking their future back.”

Trump and his team have taken an interest in far-right, populist leaders in Europe. Nigel Farage, the former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party and a key figure in the “Brexit” movement, last met with Trump in December.