French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump used to enjoy a good relationship. (Yoan Valat/Pool via Reuters)
In short:
The French president has labelled comments made by US President Donald Trump blaming French riots on immigration "stupid".
Protests over the cost of living have gripped France for more than week.
Emmanuel Macron said foreign leaders were using anti-immigration lines "for their own political campaigns".
Emmanuel Macron has described comments by US President Donald Trump and other world leaders blaming immigration for riots in France as "unacceptable" and "stupid".
The French president said foreign leaders, including those “on the other side of the Atlantic”, had been exploiting unrest in France for their own political agenda.
Thousands of people have been arrested in France as protests over the soaring cost of living has led to widespread looting.
Mr Trump has used the violence and riots gripping France to make unsubstantiated claims that immigration is responsible for the unrest, urging Mr Macron to "close your borders and take control before it is too late".
On Wednesday, Mr Macron said there had "been foreign manipulation of information in the aftermath” of the looting.
“And that has led to comments that are as unacceptable as they are stupid, from many people, including foreign leaders,” he said.
Asked by a reporter if he was referring to Mr Trump, Mr Macron replied: “Among others."
Thousands of people have been arrested in France as protests over the soaring cost of living has led to widespread looting. (Reuters: Stephane Mahe)
Mr Macron went on to say that AI-generated images had been circulating online depicting scenes that "never actually happened in France".
"We’ve had people claiming that we were invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists, which is completely false," Mr Macron said in Qatar at the end of a tour of energy suppliers.
“The fact is, all the people who are speaking ill of our country right now are people who don’t love our country.
“When I see leaders who are in the middle of election campaigns, whether in the region or on the other side of the Atlantic ... they’re using our country for their own political campaigns. And we don’t need that.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said its office can provide the countries concerned with the necessary clarification, "to help them avoid spreading or amplifying false information and making baseless claims on social media".
AP