France unrest broadens beyond schools as Trump borrows from the right to blame immigration
Trump and Vance blame immigration
Vance made a similar argument a day earlier on X, calling the unrest a result of what he described as liberal failure. He said Western liberals had brought the third world to France and neglected questions of assimilation and compatibility.
Protests began with student concerns
The demonstrations started weeks ago, as high school students marched over teacher shortages, deteriorating classrooms and an opaque university admissions system. The CGT, one of France’s largest unions, backed the movement and called for lower prices, higher pensions and better wages.
Trump recalls warning Macron
Trump said he had warned Macron that “the whole world was coming in.” He also said Paris would soon become a Muslim city and contrasted France’s policy with the US, saying, “We closed our borders. He didn’t.” The article reports that neither Trump nor Vance commented on protests in Albania. Demonstrators there have targeted the government and a luxury tourism project backed by an investment firm founded by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.
Republicans invoke unrest before midterms
The official White House X account posted, “If you import the third world, you become the third world.” Republican politicians have echoed that argument, using the unrest in France to criticize Congressional Democrats before the 3 November midterms. The Republican party faces significant headwinds in those elections. Vance said he hoped Americans would pay attention as they cast their ballots.
Key points
- Trump and Vance blamed immigration for unrest that began with student protests.
- Students raised concerns about teacher shortages, crumbling classrooms and university admissions.
- The protests broadened to include fuel prices, pensions, wages and other economic grievances.
- Republicans have invoked the unrest in France ahead of the 3 November midterms.