Macron slams ‘stupid’ comments after Trump pins French riots on immigration

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed strong disapproval on Wednesday of the "unacceptable and stupid comments" made by several foreign leaders in the wake of violent unrest that engulfed multiple French cities during the weekend. During a trip to Qatar, Macron told reporters that some individuals had falsely claimed that France had been "overrun by hordes of migrants and Islamists," which he dismissed as "completely false."

Macron's remarks directly targeted U.S. President Donald Trump, who had accused France of being "conquered, looted, and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists, and Communists." While the unrest in France, which included public buildings being set ablaze, stores looted, and clashes with riot police, sparked widespread condemnation both domestically and internationally, there is no evidence linking the events to immigration.

Macron accused Trump of being among a group of political figures who are "campaigning off of France's back," emphasizing that "at times like these, you can tell who loves France and who doesn't." Right-leaning leaders in other European nations, such as Hungary and Poland, also attempted to link the unrest in France to immigration to justify their countries' stringent migration policies. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar claimed on X that the chaos in French cities highlighted the need for strict migration approaches.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot offered to support other countries in understanding the situation and preventing the spread of false information. He urged foreign leaders who exploit recent events in France for electoral gain or to harm France, without comprehending their complexities, to demonstrate restraint.