President Donald Trump raised concerns Friday about the NFL’s first regular-season game in Paris, saying the league “could have probably postponed” the matchup as France faces another weekend of protests and unrest.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints are scheduled to play Sunday at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, just outside Paris. The NFL said that the game is going ahead as planned despite the unrest.
Speaking to reporters Friday morning, Trump said he was worried about what could happen in France over the weekend.
“It’s looking like tomorrow is going to be a bad day in France, so you worry about it,” Trump said. “I would have said the NFL could have probably postponed that match, if you want to know, because France is really in trouble.”
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Trump then linked his concerns to his broader criticism of the country’s politics and immigration policies.
“That’s what happens when you go left,” Trump said. “That’s what happens when you allow unlimited numbers of people into your country from very unfriendly countries. That’s what you’re gonna have.”
Trump’s comments came after the State Department warned Americans in France to exercise caution as demonstrations are expected over the weekend. The warning has drawn additional attention ahead of Sunday’s game.
Asked for further details about Trump’s concerns, the White House referred Newsweek to the president’s comments on Friday.
Newsweek also reached out to the NFL and the French Embassy in Washington for comment on Friday.
Is the NFL Paris Game Still Going Ahead?
Yes. The Steelers and Saints are scheduled to meet on Sunday at the Stade de France. The NFL’s official game information continues to list the event, with kickoff at 2:30 p.m. local time.
Speaking at the NFL’s annual fall owners meeting in New York on Tuesday, NFL Executive Vice President Peter O’Reilly said there “was never a point that the game was in danger of not being played at Stade de France.”
The NFL has said security will be heightened for the game, with officials coordinating with Paris and French national authorities as well as the U.S. State Department. League security officials, including Senior Vice President of Security Cathy Lanier, have also been on the ground in France.
“There’s nothing more important from our standpoint than the teams’ security, the fans’ security, everybody involved with this game,” O’Reilly said. “Obviously being very vigilant in everything we do, in all of our planning on an hour-by-hour basis, working closely with the two teams.”
O’Reilly said the league doesn't think that holding the game would take resources away from French authorities responding to the unrest.
“We feel confident that we wouldn’t be depleting resources in a negative way around this game,” he said.
The league previously said preparations were continuing as scheduled and that it was working with local authorities and providing updates to the Steelers and Saints.
US Issues France Travel Warning Ahead of Steelers-Saints Game
The State Department issued a security alert Thursday urging Americans in France to “exercise caution and be aware of their surroundings” and to avoid demonstrations and areas experiencing unrest.
It warned Americans to stay away from “areas with large crowds or significant police activity” and said demonstrations scheduled for Saturday and Sunday could change course on short notice.
The department had earlier placed France under a Level 2 travel advisory, advising Americans to “exercise increased caution due to terrorism and unrest.”
The latest warning said curfews were in effect in parts of France, including some neighborhoods in Paris, and could remain in place into the weekend.
Multiple protest groups have submitted plans for demonstrations. France’s main student union, UNEF, has called for protests Saturday, while the Yellow Vest movement has filed plans for a march through central Paris.
France Protests Turn Violent Ahead of NFL Paris Game
France has faced weeks of demonstrations driven by concerns including living costs and conditions in schools, with some protests descending into rioting, arson, looting and clashes with police.
At least 550,000 people took to the streets across France last Saturday, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. Authorities said 1,800 people were arrested and more than 500 police officers and firefighters were injured.
Cars and trash cans were set on fire and shops were looted in several cities. The historic City Hall in Limoges was badly damaged by fire.
French President Emmanuel Macron has blamed some of the violence on what he described as “political and seditious acts by ultra-left groups whose aim is to bring down the Republic.”
Macron said Thursday that authorities would take steps against what he called “illegitimate” protests, while demonstrations organized by groups such as trade unions would be permitted.
The unrest has heightened scrutiny of the NFL’s decision to proceed with Sunday’s game, although league officials have maintained that security is a priority and said the game was never in danger of being moved.
Trump Blames France Unrest on Immigration
Friday was not the first time Trump has weighed in on the disorder.
He has repeatedly portrayed France’s problems as a warning to the United States and attributed the unrest to immigration and left-wing policies, even though the demonstrations began amid anger about school conditions, public services and the cost of living.
Last weekend, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “France is burning! The immigration of people from an entirely different world, people with hatred in their hearts, has shattered that once great country. Close your Borders and take control, before it is too late!”
Vice President JD Vance has similarly connected the violence to immigration, writing that “Western liberals imported the third world into France” and warning Americans about the consequences of liberal immigration policies.
French officials have also blamed radical far-left groups for fueling violence at demonstrations while distinguishing those groups from protesters demonstrating peacefully over economic and social grievances.
Trump has increasingly invoked the French unrest while campaigning ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, arguing that the scenes offer Americans a warning about what could happen if Democrats gain power.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn
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Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Steve Mollman and Dave Siminoff.