Jacob Helberg, a 36-year-old Franco-American, serves as the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs. Born to a French mother in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, he eases connections between Donald Trump's French allies, such as Sarah Knafo and Marine Le Pen, and American circles. His role draws notice in January during a meeting at the State Department in Washington.
In early January, an official leads a visitor through the corridors of the State Department in Washington, the hub of U.S. diplomacy. The setting recalls America's expansionist past, featuring a painting allegorizing «manifest destiny» with a woman driving Native Americans from their lands.
Jacob Helberg, 36, greets with a cool «Hello, welcome» in English, though French is his mother tongue. Born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye in the Yvelines to a French mother, he describes this affluent, green western Paris suburb as a «little valley on the Seine». He moved to the United States, his father's country, only upon reaching adulthood.
As Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, this young Franco-American serves as the key contact for French figures seeking access to Donald Trump. Individuals like Sarah Knafo and Marine Le Pen of the National Rally (RN) rely on him to connect with U.S. circles favorable to their French allies. His sway over the French far right highlights emerging transatlantic ties in this political landscape.
