Donald Trump said on Monday, October 19, 2026, that immigration is behind the violence in France, and again urged French President Emmanuel Macron to “close up your borders.” Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Donald Trump said Europe is “finished” unless it closes its borders and sends out criminals, which he said includes the protesters. French officials have pointed instead to far-left groups and looters, and the protests began over living costs and school conditions.

Donald Trump told reporters the unrest has nothing to do with schools or other issues. He said he warned Emmanuel Macron long ago that France was letting too many people in, and he claimed Paris would soon become a Muslim city. He contrasted France with the United States, saying Washington had closed its borders. AFP reported that this echoed comments he made the day before.

Hundreds of thousands marched, and violence followed

Between 550,000 and 800,000 people marched across France on Saturday, October 17, against rising living costs, Euronews reported. Other reports add fuel prices and poor conditions in schools. Most protesters were peaceful, but violence broke out in several cities. The fire that damaged Limoges city hall and the burning of Lyon’s tourist office on Place Bellecour were among the worst incidents. The prefect’s residence in Bordeaux was ransacked.

France’s interior ministry said on Sunday that 2,397 people were arrested on Saturday and 997 police officers and gendarmes were injured, France 24 reported. Earlier tallies were lower, at about 1,200 arrests and 150 injured officers. AP noted that an earlier count of 1,800 arrests already approached the nearly 2,000 recorded on one day of the yellow vest protests in December 2018. The final figure is higher. CNBC reported business losses running to hundreds of millions of euros.

Macron blames far-left groups, not immigration

In a television address on Sunday, Emmanuel Macron said nothing justifies the “unbridled” violence. He voiced the public’s “anger and shame” and separated people with real worries about prices from far-left groups that he said used violence. He promised an uncompromising response and said prefects and mayors would get powers to ban gatherings, CNBC reported. The Times of Israel reported localized curfews in parts of Paris, Lille and Nice.

French officials have not cited immigration as a cause of the riots. Nukta reported that the Élysée Palace had not issued an immediate response to Donald Trump’s latest comments.

The unrest has added pressure on Emmanuel Macron’s minority government ahead of a budget vote on Tuesday, October 20, CNBC reported.