Trump and Republicans blame France's immigrants for riots without evidence

PARIS — U.S. President Donald Trump and leading Republicans are trying to leverage widespread riots in France ahead of midterm congressional elections by making unsubstantiated claims that the social unrest in Europe is caused by Muslim migrants. Peaceful nationwide demonstrations in France over the high cost of living and in support of students' grievances over underfunded schools turned violent over the weekend, with masked rioters committing vandalism and clashing with overwhelmed police. In Italy’s finance and fashion capital of Milan on Saturday, rioters clashed with police, looted stores and set property on fire. Here's a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: Migrants of Muslim heritage are doing most of the damage in France and Italy. THE FACTS: It is difficult to know the exact sociological makeup of the protesters, but no one group has been singled out as being responsible for the violence. Trump has tried to put the blame on migrants, urging French President Emmanuel Macron to “close your borders and take control before it is too late!” “If Europe doesn’t close its borders