Trump links French unrest to US midterms, European allies warn travellers
Donald Trump invoked violent protests in France at a Kansas campaign rally, as several European governments warned citizens travelling to France to avoid large gatherings.
US President Donald Trump cited violent unrest in France at a campaign rally in Kansas on Monday, warning that a similar scenario could unfold in the United States if his political opponents won next month's elections, Austrian outlets Salzburger Nachrichten and Die Presse reported.
Trump told the rally that scenes of burning church towers and raging fires in France showed what "radical Democrats" wanted to bring to America, and urged support for Republican Senator Roger Marshall, whose re-election bid in the traditionally conservative state is seen as competitive.
Earlier the same day, Trump said France was being overrun, looted and burned down by migrants, jihadists and communists, and said Paris would soon become a Muslim city, Greek broadcaster ERT News reported. He also wrote on his Truth Social platform that migrants had taken over France and called for its borders to be closed quickly.
The unrest in France was triggered by a sharp rise in the cost of living, ERT News reported, though Trump has presented the clashes with police as an argument for strict immigration policies, which he credited with helping him win re-election in 2024.
Several European governments issued new travel advisories for France on Monday after a weekend of violent clashes and looting around nationwide cost-of-living protests, warning citizens to avoid large gatherings and show caution, Greek outlet NewsIT reported. Italy asked its citizens in France to register their presence online so they could be located if needed; Germany warned of possible new unrest and said citizens could face fines for failing to leave unauthorised protests when ordered by police.
The Czech Republic, Poland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway also issued or maintained travel advisories urging citizens in France to avoid demonstrations and follow local police instructions, NewsIT reported.
Trump's remarks followed earlier comments by Vice President JD Vance, who wrote on social media that Western liberals had brought the Third World into France and ignored fundamental questions of assimilation, ERT News reported. European Council on Foreign Relations policy adviser Celia Belin said such comments amounted to an export of US domestic politics by an administration that openly supports European nationalist parties.
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What we know
- Donald Trump cited French unrest at a Kansas campaign rally, warning a similar scenario could happen in the US if Democrats win, Austrian outlets reported.
- Earlier the same day, Trump said France was being overrun, looted and burned by migrants, jihadists and communists, and called for its borders to close, ERT News reported.
- The French unrest was triggered by a sharp rise in the cost of living, not immigration, ERT News reported.
- Several European governments, including Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic and Nordic countries, issued travel advisories for France urging citizens to avoid demonstrations.
- US Vice President JD Vance separately said Western liberals had brought the Third World into France, ERT News reported.
Why it matters for Europe
Trump's comments come two weeks before US midterm elections that will decide control of Congress, and follow a pattern in which his MAGA movement has treated European unrest as part of the American political battlefield, a Johns Hopkins professor told AFP. The coordinated European travel warnings show governments across the continent now see France's unrest as serious enough to warn their own citizens, beyond France's own borders.
Sources
Reported by 7 reports from 7 independent outlets in 4 countries.
- NewsIT: Συναγερμός στην Ευρώπη για τα επεισόδια στη Γαλλία: Ευρωπαϊκές κυβερνήσεις προς ταξιδιώτες – «Αποφύγετε τις μεγάλες συγκεντρώσεις, επιδείξτε προσοχή»
- Naftemporiki: ΗΠΑ προς Αμερικανούς στη Γαλλία: «Αποφύγετε τις περιοχές των διαδηλώσεων»
- ERT News: Ο Τραμπ «εργαλειοποιεί» τις ταραχές στη Γαλλία ενόψει των ενδιάμεσων εκλογών στις ΗΠΑ
- Salzburger Nachrichten: Trump nutzt Unruhen in Frankreich für US-Wahlkampf
- Kleine Zeitung: Trump nutzt Unruhen in Frankreich für US-Wahlkampf
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What did Trump say about the unrest in France?
- He said France was being overrun, looted and burned by migrants, jihadists and communists, and cited the unrest as a warning of what could happen in the US if Democrats win the midterms.
- Why are European governments issuing travel warnings for France?
- After a weekend of violent clashes and looting around nationwide cost-of-living protests, several governments urged their citizens in France to avoid large gatherings and demonstrations.
- What triggered the unrest in France?
- A sharp rise in the cost of living triggered the protests, which turned violent in Paris and other cities, ERT News reported.
This article was written with AI assistance from 7 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.