Trump cites 1,000 arrests in France to renew decade-old immigration warning to Macron
The president told Fox News Digital that France risks losing its country if it does not address the influx of migrants who he says dislike French culture.
By Ethan Cook ·
Student demonstrations in France have expanded into a nationwide movement that is reshaping political discourse across Europe. President Donald Trump used the unrest to renew a warning he has delivered for ten years: France must control its borders or risk losing its identity.
Speaking to Fox News Digital on Tuesday night after a rally in Texas, Trump dismissed educational issues as the primary cause of the unrest. He stated, "It's not a school problem. It's an immigration problem." Trump said he has told President Emmanuel Macron repeatedly that inaction would lead to France losing its country. He added that he likes Macron but believes the French leader must act.
The president discussed the situation earlier in the week with U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner. Trump claimed the two focused on immigration as the root of the protests. He described the migrants as people who hate French buildings, art, and people. "You have to get them out," Trump said.
France's Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported that nearly 1,000 people were arrested on Saturday as protests resumed. Macron labeled the organizers as ultra-left groups aiming to bring down the Republic. He announced that groups without legitimate authority would be banned and that looters would be forced to pay for damages. Tens of thousands of police officers remain deployed across the country.
Macron accused foreign leaders of making unacceptable comments for political gain last week. He did not name Trump or Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though both nations are entering high-stakes election cycles. Trump has credited his own immigration policies with preventing similar unrest in the United States since 2016.
Violence has also spread to other European cities this month. Demonstrators set government buildings on fire in Tirana, Albania, and clashes occurred in Rome. A Fox News Digital investigation identified 50 Antifa groups among nearly 300 mobilizing groups in France. The network includes communist, socialist, far-left, and anti-Israel organizations.
Trump is currently in Texas for a final push to support Republican candidates ahead of next week's midterm elections. Macron's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
