For Candace Owens, the American right-wing political commentator who faces an ongoing defamation lawsuit filed by French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte over her claims that the latter is actually a man, a Paris criminal court’s conviction on Monday of 10 French individuals for cyberbullying the First Lady over similar claims would seemingly strike fear about her own case. But instead, Owens has doubled down.

“Once again these headlines are written in a way to deceive the public into believing that Brigitte proved she was a woman,” Owens posted on X, in response to a New York Times article about the convictions. “NO. France just has cyber-bullying laws. In essence, Rachel Dolezal could secure a conviction against people for asserting that she was born white.”

“Consider the fact that this man statutorily raped a student and is today securing convictions for ‘cyberbullying’ against people for discussing his dark past,” Owens wrote in another post, asserting that the First Lady was born male. “Brigitte is dangerous. That he wakes up everyday, puts on a fake wig, lipstick and mascara and declares war on those who know his true identity is nothing short of psychopathic.”

The French court sentenced most of the defendants, some of whom had shared posts by Owens, to jail terms for leveling “particularly degrading, insulting, and malicious” comments against the First Lady. Some of the defendants had claimed their posts about Macron were made in jest; others claimed that they were participating in legitimate debate. Brigitte Macron’s daughter from a previous marriage, Tiphaine Auzière, testified to the toll the rumors and discourse had on her mother and their family.

In a separate post, the 36-year-old Owens responded to a user suggesting an impending crackdown on free speech in the U.S. similar to France’s laws. “This is the entire purpose of the lawsuit against me,” Owens responded. “Independent media has made it a struggle for the deep state to stop the public from learning about the evil they partake in. They now want speech restricted in the United States because we are the last stand against them.”

Owens said she will bring back “Becoming Brigitte,” a video and podcast series that focused on the debunked conspiracy theory that Brigitte Macron was a man, later this year. The series was part of the complaint lodged against Owens.

“America has to fight this repression tooth and nail,” she said. “These psychopaths cannot win.”