Truth or Fake
Cover image: Truth or Fake © FRANCE 24
Issued on: 21/10/2026
05:18 min From the show
US President Donald Trump and his inner circle are using unrest in France to push unsubstantiated claims blaming the riots on immigration, even showing French protest footage at midterm rallies. But there is no evidence linking immigration to the unrest, and it's prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to accuse world leaders of making "stupid comments" at France's expense. Trump's focus comes as Republicans face mounting pressure ahead of the midterms and his approval rating hits a reported record low.
In recent days, Trump and members of his inner circle have repeatedly invoked the unrest in France to push unsubstantiated claims blaming immigrants for the violence – and rally his MAGA base.
At a midterm campaign rally in Kansas this week, Trump even broadcast footage of the protests, and warned that the United States could become "like France" if Democrats win the elections, and that a once-great nation had been "conquered, looted, and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists, and communists".
He's also criticised French President Emmanuel Macron, claiming Macron had failed to get the situation under control: "The whole world was coming in, and as you know, Paris is going to be a Muslim city very soon, and that wasn't the deal."
Other Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance, have echoed claims blaming immigrants for the violence.
But there is no evidence linking the unrest in France to immigration.
France does not collect official statistics on the racial or ethnic backgrounds of people arrested, making it impossible to establish the demographic makeup of protesters detained on those grounds. Nor is there evidence that immigrants, whether documented or undocumented, are responsible for the violence.
It's also important to remember how the protests emerged: demonstrations began with student protests calling for more teachers and improved school conditions. They subsequently widened to include other groups expressing frustration over the cost of living and high fuel prices.
Trump may have highlighted images of people of colour in footage of the unrest, calling them "migrants, jihadists and communists who hate Christianity". But France is a diverse society, shaped in part by its colonial history, particularly in the two largest cities Paris and Marseille, where the biggest demonstrations have taken place. The presence of people of colour in protest footage does not establish a link between immigration and the violence.
Macron has criticised foreign leaders for making "stupid comments" to advance their own political agendas, saying: "We saw AI-generated images showing scenes that never happened in France. We had people claiming that we had been invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists, which is completely false."
Trump's focus on France comes as Republicans face mounting political pressure ahead of the midterm elections, which are just weeks away. A Reuters/Ipsos poll put Trump's approval rating at 31 percent, reportedly a record low. The president has also faced criticism from within his own party, as Republicans seek to address growing concerns among voters.
It remains unclear whether using the unrest in France to reinforce his immigration message will resonate with American voters. US media reports suggest the cost of living and the war in Iran are among the issues weighing most heavily on voters' minds.
As the midterms loom, Trump is holding up France as a "warning" to American voters in a bid to rally his MAGA base against rising political headwinds, but the claims linking the unrest to immigration are not supported by any available evidence.
Issued on: 21/10/2026
05:18 min From the show
US President Donald Trump and his inner circle are using unrest in France to push unsubstantiated claims blaming the riots on immigration, even showing French protest footage at midterm rallies. But there is no evidence linking immigration to the unrest, and it's prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to accuse world leaders of making "stupid comments" at France's expense. Trump's focus comes as Republicans face mounting pressure ahead of the midterms and his approval rating hits a reported record low.
In recent days, Trump and members of his inner circle have repeatedly invoked the unrest in France to push unsubstantiated claims blaming immigrants for the violence – and rally his MAGA base.
At a midterm campaign rally in Kansas this week, Trump even broadcast footage of the protests, and warned that the United States could become "like France" if Democrats win the elections, and that a once-great nation had been "conquered, looted, and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists, and communists".
He's also criticised French President Emmanuel Macron, claiming Macron had failed to get the situation under control: "The whole world was coming in, and as you know, Paris is going to be a Muslim city very soon, and that wasn't the deal."
Other Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance, have echoed claims blaming immigrants for the violence.
But there is no evidence linking the unrest in France to immigration.
France does not collect official statistics on the racial or ethnic backgrounds of people arrested, making it impossible to establish the demographic makeup of protesters detained on those grounds. Nor is there evidence that immigrants, whether documented or undocumented, are responsible for the violence.
It's also important to remember how the protests emerged: demonstrations began with student protests calling for more teachers and improved school conditions. They subsequently widened to include other groups expressing frustration over the cost of living and high fuel prices.
Trump may have highlighted images of people of colour in footage of the unrest, calling them "migrants, jihadists and communists who hate Christianity". But France is a diverse society, shaped in part by its colonial history, particularly in the two largest cities Paris and Marseille, where the biggest demonstrations have taken place. The presence of people of colour in protest footage does not establish a link between immigration and the violence.
Macron has criticised foreign leaders for making "stupid comments" to advance their own political agendas, saying: "We saw AI-generated images showing scenes that never happened in France. We had people claiming that we had been invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists, which is completely false."
Trump's focus on France comes as Republicans face mounting political pressure ahead of the midterm elections, which are just weeks away. A Reuters/Ipsos poll put Trump's approval rating at 31 percent, reportedly a record low. The president has also faced criticism from within his own party, as Republicans seek to address growing concerns among voters.
It remains unclear whether using the unrest in France to reinforce his immigration message will resonate with American voters. US media reports suggest the cost of living and the war in Iran are among the issues weighing most heavily on voters' minds.
As the midterms loom, Trump is holding up France as a "warning" to American voters in a bid to rally his MAGA base against rising political headwinds, but the claims linking the unrest to immigration are not supported by any available evidence.
VIDEO BY:
Vedika BAHL
In run-up to mass protests and riots, pro-Russian accounts amplified French anger, NGO finds
Cover image: A PROPOS © FRANCE 24
Issued on: 21/10/2026 -
11:52 min From the show
Research carried out by the NGO Alliance4Europe suggests that pro-Russian networks manipulated information online in an effort to exacerbate anger in France ahead of last weekend's massive protests and subsequent unrest. After analysing more than half a million posts across various social media platforms, the group says it was able to track the campaign back to the start of September.
Issued on: 21/10/2026 -
11:52 min From the show
Research carried out by the NGO Alliance4Europe suggests that pro-Russian networks manipulated information online in an effort to exacerbate anger in France ahead of last weekend's massive protests and subsequent unrest. After analysing more than half a million posts across various social media platforms, the group says it was able to track the campaign back to the start of September.
FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks with Omri Preiss, Managing Director at Alliance4Europe.
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