Donald Trump, speaking at a Republican candidate rally in Perry, Georgia on Saturday, slammed France’s open‑border immigration policy, claiming it invites hostility. He warned that “people who hate France” were being allowed in, drawing a direct line to U.S. immigration debates.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported that nearly 1,000 arrests were made during nationwide protests that day, with Paris alone seeing clashes that prompted the deployment of water‑cannons and tear gas. Nunez said the figure could rise, noting that 385 arrests the previous week had already set a record for violence.
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking in Doha on October 21, sharply rebuked Trump and other foreign leaders for exploiting France’s turmoil to advance their own campaigns. Macron said there was no visible foreign interference, but that “foreign manipulation of information” had fueled misinformation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also criticized France’s handling of the unrest, accusing the government of failing to prepare for an “invasion of extremist Islam.” Netanyahu’s remarks were made in an interview with i24News on October 20.
The U.S. midterm elections, beginning early voting in late October, will decide control of Congress and shape Trump’s legislative agenda. As the political storm in France intensifies, diplomats on both sides expect further dialogue in the coming weeks.