Trump blames migrants for France unrest at Kansas rally as protests spread
The US president used the unrest to warn voters about immigration, while reports describe protests driven by living costs, fuel prices and concerns about schools.
US President Donald Trump blamed migrants for unrest in France at a campaign rally in Kansas on Monday, October 19, using the protests to warn American voters about immigration. Reports from France describe demonstrations driven by rising costs and concerns about schools; they do not establish Trump’s claim that migrants caused the unrest.
Trump described France as having been ‘conquered, looted, and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists, and communists,’ according to the Guardian. ‘If you want to see what is at stake in this election, just look at what’s happening in France,’ he told the Kansas audience, turning the French protests into a warning ahead of November’s US midterm elections.
What Trump said about France and its borders
Earlier on Monday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that migrants had taken over France and that its leaders needed to close the borders, AFP reported in The Hindu. Speaking separately to reporters at the White House that day, he said he had told French President Emmanuel Macron to ‘close up your borders,’ according to Hindustan Times. He attributed the disorder to immigration rather than schools.
Trump also claimed Paris would soon become a Muslim city and warned that Europe would be finished if its governments did not close borders and remove criminals, Hindustan Times reported. Those statements were his characterisation of the unrest, rather than findings about who organised the protests or committed violence.
Why protesters took to the streets
The Guardian reported that the demonstrations began with students protesting crumbling schools and the cost of living. Nationwide protests on Saturday were called over higher fuel prices and falling purchasing power. Hindustan Times likewise described anger over living costs and public services, including schools. These accounts identify grievances distinct from the immigration explanation Trump offered.
Some protests turned violent. The Guardian reported looting and clashes with police in several cities, a historic town hall set alight and 1,800 arrests. French authorities issued overnight curfews on Monday in several cities, including parts of Paris, according to the Guardian; Hindustan Times also reported restrictions in parts of the capital.
Trump’s message was part of a broader Republican response to the unrest. Vice-President JD Vance also presented events in France as a warning about immigration and said they showed what congressional Democrats wanted for the United States, the Guardian reported. Trump made his Kansas remarks as Republicans faced a difficult midterm election campaign.
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Sources and context
- Migrants have taken over France, they must close the borders: Trump on France riotsAFP, as credited by The Hindu
- Trump tells France's Macron 'close your borders' as curfew continues in parts of ParisHindustan Times
- Trump attacks ‘migrants and communists’ as he tries to exploit France unrestThe Guardian
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.