U.S. President Donald Trump mocked the violent unrest sweeping France, joking that the country had become a natural destination for "revolutions" — remarks delivered as nationwide protests over the cost of living spiraled into clashes with police, looting and fires across French cities.
What Trump said
Speaking at a campaign rally this week ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, Trump folded the unrest into his pitch for a proposed $5,000 "Trump dividend," urging Americans to spend the money at home rather than abroad. "Let's go to the beautiful country of France and get involved in the revolution," he joked, after suggesting that France "seems to be so damn good for revolutions."
The remarks came as France woke up Sunday to devastated streets after major demonstrations turned violent. The unrest followed weeks of student-led protests over economic pressures and public spending, escalating into vandalism, arson and clashes with riot police. The turmoil is unfolding roughly six months before elections to replace French President Emmanuel Macron, adding political pressure on his government.
Vance blames immigration
Vice President JD Vance also weighed in, tying the unrest to immigration. In a post on X, he wrote that "Western liberals imported the third world into France and other countries in the name of diversity and compassion," arguing they had "ignored fundamental questions of assimilation and compatibility." He added: "I pray that France, a beautiful country of amazing people, will stop this madness before more of its landmarks burn."
Trump separately posted on Truth Social that what is happening in France is "nothing less than out of control mass migration," claiming that "Islam [wants] to take over a once great Country!"
The unrest in France
According to the Associated Press, more than 6,500 people — mostly minors — have been arrested in connection with the demonstrations. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said 715 officers have been injured in the clashes over the past three weeks, while the Education Ministry reports that 24 schools have been burned or ransacked since mid-September. Student groups have called for new nationwide rallies this week.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu rejected claims that the government had ordered "police repression" or that officers were being racist, saying "ultra violence" would not be tolerated and promising investigations into what he described as "accidents" during the protests.
Why it matters
The comments put Washington's leaders publicly at odds with the gravity France's own government assigns to the unrest, even as both sides agree the violence is severe. With midterm elections weeks away in the United States and France's presidential succession on the horizon, the episode has become a flashpoint in debates over protest, policing and immigration policy — and over how a president speaks about an ally in crisis.
Watch: News18 coverage of Trump joking about France's protests and Vance blaming immigration policies
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Hitman (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources: NDTV, News18, Vidostream