US President Donald Trump has seized on violent protests in France to promote his hardline immigration policies and rally support for Republicans ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, as opinion polls point to growing challenges for his party.
Speaking at a rally in Kansas on Monday, Trump claimed France was being “conquered, looted, and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists, and communists”, adding that his administration would not allow similar events to unfold in the United States.
Earlier, Trump recalled warning French President Emmanuel Macron that allowing large numbers of migrants into France was a mistake, claiming Paris would soon become “a Muslim city”.
In a post on Truth Social, he also called on France to close its borders, declaring that migrants had taken over the country, AFP reported.
Protests over the rising cost of living erupted across France over the weekend, with some demonstrations escalating into looting and clashes with police.
French authorities introduced partial curfews on Monday in response to the unrest.
Trump has used the violence to reinforce arguments for the restrictive immigration policies that helped secure his return to the White House in 2024. Analysts say his comments reflect an effort to turn developments in Europe into a political campaign issue at home.
“They’re taking this French crisis and turning it into a campaign argument,” JC Lintzenich, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, told AFP.
Europe becomes part of US election debate
With Democrats favoured in opinion polls ahead of the November 3 elections, Trump and his allies have intensified efforts to mobilise voters behind the Republican Party and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
Justin Vaisse, a professor of US foreign policy at Johns Hopkins University, said Europe had long featured in American political debates, particularly since the emergence of the MAGA movement.
Trump’s Vice President JD Vance also weighed in on Saturday, writing on X that Western liberals had “imported the third world into France” while neglecting questions of assimilation and cultural compatibility.
Economy remains key concern for voters
A Pew Research poll published this month found that the economy was important to 82 percent of US voters when deciding how to vote, compared with 59 percent who cited immigration and 36 percent who pointed to race-related issues.
Although Trump has pursued the immigration crackdown promised during his 2024 campaign, he has struggled to deliver on his pledge to curb inflation.
His tariff policies and the war with Iran have contributed to higher prices across the economy, while his approval rating has fallen to record lows, according to the report.
Vaisse argued that linking the unrest in France to US cultural and identity debates was unlikely to win Republicans new votes, although it could help energise Trump’s existing supporters ahead of the midterms.
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