By Gabriel Stargardter PARIS (Reuters) -French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Thursday said those behind death threats against a judge and prosecutors trying her in a graft trial should be punished,

Experts argue the French rightwing leader's newfound distance from the U.S. president represents the growing legitimacy of her National Rally party.

The grave in western France of the co-founder of the country's main postwar far-right movement Jean Marie Le Pen has been vandalised, his former party said on Friday, denouncing an "unspeakable" act.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said France should follow U.S. President Donald Trump's hardline stance toward countries unwilling to receive deportees, citing his pressure on Colombia as a model for Paris' dealings with Algeria.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said she aims to lead France as the president of a "non-aligned" power but insisted she was not seeking the post of prime minister in the case of new legislative elections.