Donald Trump has vowed that the United States will not descend into the disorder seen during mass protests in France, as he used a rally in Kansas to attack Emmanuel Macron’s immigration policies.
Addressing supporters while campaigning for Republican senator Roger Marshall, Mr Trump said he would prevent similar unrest in America during his presidency. He blamed the violence in France on a combination of rising prices, illegal activity and what he described as uncontrolled migration.
“Look at what’s happening in France, a once great nation, that is being conquered, looted and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists and communists who hate Christianity and hate, frankly, the western civilization itself,” he said.
Mr Trump accused “globalist left-wing politicians” of importing “millions and millions of third world migrants who are incompatible with western values”. He added: “They’re destroying that country and we’re not gonna let that happen to this country!”
Trump attacks Macron over France protests
Earlier on Monday, Mr Trump said he believed Mr Macron had made a mistake by pursuing what he called lax immigration policies.
“I told him a long time ago, ‘You’re making a big mistake in France,’” Mr Trump said. “‘You’re letting everybody from the world come in.’”
He claimed that Paris would become “a Muslim city very soon”, adding: “That wasn’t the deal.” Mr Trump said he had urged the French president to close the country’s borders, while claiming that the United States had done so.
“But Emmanuel should have closed his borders a long time ago,” he said. “I told him to do it.”
The demonstrations began about a month ago with action by teachers and students over staff shortages, before developing into a wider movement against rising prices and fuel costs. Extremist politicians and activists, including Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the hard-Left France Unbowed party, later joined the protests.
Scenes over the weekend showed looters breaking into luxury shops, including Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton. Dozens of hooded men were filmed taking jewellery and clothing from high-end stores, while other footage showed fires and damage to public buildings.
In a televised address, Mr Macron blamed “agitators from far-Left fringe groups, joined by numerous criminals” for what he called “unbridled violence”. He appealed for unity and said almost 2,400 people had been arrested, while nearly 1,000 police officers and gendarmes were injured, seven of them seriously.
“Nothing justifies it, nothing explains it, nothing excuses it,” Mr Macron said. He vowed that those responsible for looting would have to repay the damage and that those who sought to bring down the Republic would be held accountable.
Mr Trump also joked about his proposed “Trump Dividend”, which he has said could provide $5,000 to every American if Republicans win the midterm elections. He told supporters he did not want recipients travelling to France to “join the revolution” before returning home.
At least four protests interrupted the early part of Mr Trump’s speech. One heckler was removed from the venue and gave the middle finger to the crowd as supporters booed.
The rally took place hours after a 24-year-old Kansas man was charged with allegedly threatening to shoot Mr Trump. Federal prosecutors said Jaden J. Read, from Clearwater, had posted comments online about the president’s visit, including claims that he had obtained ammunition and identified nearby rooftops.
Mr Read was arrested on October 17 and is being held in federal custody while awaiting a detention hearing. He faces a federal charge of threatening the president, which carries a potential prison sentence of up to five years.
Ryan A Kriegshauser, the US attorney for Kansas, said political disagreements did not give people the right to make threats of violence. The investigation involves the Secret Service, the US Marshals Service, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas Highway Patrol and Wichita Police Department.
