Why Donald Trump Points to French Unrest for US Voters
As US midterm elections approach, former President Donald Trump is using recent events in France. He connects the protests in France to his own political goals. These important elections happen on November 3. They will decide which party controls the US Congress. Mr. Trump aims to boost support for his Republican party.
At a rally in Kansas, Mr. Trump gave a long speech about France. He claimed migrants, extremists, and communists were “conquering” and “burning” France. He added that the United States would not let this happen. Earlier, Mr. Trump wrote online that migrants had taken over France. He urged France to “CLOSE THE BORDERS, FAST!”
Mr. Trump also said he once told French President Emmanuel Macron that France was making a mistake. He believed France was letting too many people enter the country. Mr. Trump predicted Paris would soon become a “Muslim city.”
The protests in France began over the high cost of living. Many demonstrations became violent. There was also looting. This led officials to set partial curfews. Mr. Trump has used these events to support his anti-immigration ideas. He used these same ideas in his 2024 re-election campaign.
Experts say Mr. Trump is changing a French crisis into a US campaign argument. JC Lintzenich from the German Marshall Fund said this. Justin Vaisse, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, agreed. He noted that Europe often becomes a part of US political fights.
Mr. Trump’s Vice President, JD Vance, also commented on the French unrest. He blamed “Western liberals” for allowing immigration. Other US media figures made similar points. They blamed immigrants from Muslim countries. They said these immigrants caused a crisis in Western identity.
Celia Belin from the European Council on Foreign Relations said this is “exporting domestic policies.” She believes Mr. Trump and his allies quickly used this argument. She said they wanted to make the problem worse.
However, US voters may not want to hear this message. Polls show Americans care more about local issues. Healthcare and the economy are very important to them. A Pew Research poll found 82 percent of US voters care most about the economy. Immigration was important to 59 percent. Race issues were important to 36 percent.
Mr. Trump had promised to control immigration. He did this. But he was less successful in lowering inflation. His policies, like tariffs, caused prices to rise. This has made his approval rating very low. Experts say linking US ideas to French events will not win new votes. It might only make his existing supporters vote.
