Trump and Vance Blame Migrants for France Riots
Protests that began in France over crumbling schools and teacher shortages grew over the weekend of Oct. 17-18, 2026, into nationwide anti-government rioting over the cost of living and President Emmanuel Macron. The 140-year-old town hall in Limoges was largely destroyed by fire, the Louvre closed, and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez — who blamed "extremely violent, radical far-left groups" — offered his resignation. French officials have not cited immigration as a factor. President Trump and Republican leaders nonetheless cast the unrest as the product of migration, three weeks before the U.S. midterms. On Oct. 18 Trump posted "France is burning!" and blamed "the immigration of people from an entirely different world"; Vice President JD Vance wrote that "Western liberals imported the third world into France" and warned Americans that "this is the future congressional Democrats seek for your country." On Oct. 19 Trump posted that "the migrants have taken over France" and told reporters at the White House that "Paris is going to be a Muslim city very soon," a claim fact-checkers called false; asked about reports that Macron had linked the unrest to the Iran war, he called it "fake news." Speaker Mike Johnson said that if Democrats win the House "it will be open borders and criminal illegals overrunning our country."
“[On Truth Social:] The migrants have taken over France. They must CLOSE THE BORDERS, FAST!”