In an interview with The New York Times, he claimed that the cover of his latest book, France Has Not Yet Said Its Last Word, was modeled after the former American president’s book Great Again, which, like Zemmour’s, was published in the run-up to a presidential election. Much of the media’s fascination with Zemmour seems to be excited by his similarities with Trump, a comparison that the 63-year-old Frenchman appears all too happy to embrace. Yet by over-indexing on a single candidate-or, in Zemmour’s case, a potential candidate-French journalists look doomed to repeat the mistakes of their counterparts on the other side of the Atlantic.

With six months left until election day (still a long way away, by French standards), France’s contest has scarcely begun. Although the American media did not create Trump (like Zemmour, he was a household name long before he was ever a candidate), they did grant him a disproportionate level of coverage, bestowing upon him more attention and legitimacy than they’ve given any of his competitors. And so far, the French press has proved happy to oblige. The goal, it would appear, is to drum up enough momentum to bolster his anticipated candidacy. Like Trump, he has vexed his way onto front pages and prime-time news broadcasts simply by being the most outrageous voice in the room. That Zemmour has managed to attract outsize attention relative to the rest of France’s presidential hopefuls is a testament to his ability to remain provocative-a skill that he has honed over the course of his career. But the overwhelming coverage of him in the French media, as well as his increasing presence in the international press, suggests that it’s only a matter of time before he does. Éric Zemmour, a far-right pundit who has gained ground in recent polls ahead of the country’s presidential election next year, has yet to descend from his proverbial golden escalator to announce his candidacy. This isn’t Donald Trump, though it might be France’s version of him. The media’s wall-to-wall coverage makes him an inescapable presence. To his supporters, he is a familiar face who isn’t afraid to “tell it like it is.” To detractors, he’s an inflammatory populist set on dividing the country. He is a vocal opponent of immigration, political correctness, and feminism. Unlike his competitors, he doesn’t shy away from religious or racial provocation, nor does he hide his penchant for conspiracies. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: A television star eyes a presidential run as an outsider ready to take on the political establishment.

One doomed space marine