Macron takes aim at Trump over France unrest, calls foreign leaders’ remarks ‘stupid’

DOHA, QATAR: French President Emmanuel Macron lashed out at international political figures weighing in on France’s recent unrest, accusing them of turning the situation into a political talking point.

Speaking to the press in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday, October 21, he branded their comments “stupid” in an apparent rebuke of US President Donald Trump, who had blamed immigration for the violence and questioned France’s decision to admit people he said showed little respect for its culture and identity.

Macron takes aim at Trump 'among others'

Macron accused foreign politicians of turning France’s unrest into ammunition for their own political battles, arguing that misleading online content had shaped reactions to the situation.

Speaking in Doha, Qatar, the French president said some leaders were making inflammatory statements instead of focusing on the challenges facing his country.

“There was foreign manipulation of information which led to unacceptable and even stupid comments by many, including foreign leaders,” he said.

The remarks took on a direct Trump angle when a reporter asked whether the US president was among those Macron had in mind. “Among others,” Macron responded.

He argued that politicians seeking votes were using developments in France to bolster narratives that benefited them at home.

He also pointed to AI-generated images circulating online that appeared to depict events he said had never happened in the country.

“We saw images generated by AI which showed scenes that never took place in France,” Macron said.

He also challenged claims that France had been overwhelmed by migrants, dismissing such assertions as false.

Macron suggested that some foreign leaders were repeating these accounts without checking whether the material supporting them was authentic.

“When I see leaders who are in the middle of election campaigns, whether here in the region or on the other side of the Atlantic, who sometimes naively spread narratives that certain circles are clearly trying to promote, they are using our country for their own political campaigns,” he said.

Macron added that France had domestic problems of its own to address and did not need foreign politicians using the situation to serve their electoral interests.

He also questioned the attitude of those criticizing France over the unrest, arguing that their comments revealed their true feelings toward the country.

“In these moments you see who likes France and who does not. All the people who speak badly of us now do not like our country,” Macron said.

Trump blamed immigration for unrest

Trump had already weighed in on France’s unrest on Tuesday, arguing that immigration was at the heart of the country’s problems and calling on Macron to tighten border controls.

The US president Donald Trump claimed France was facing the consequences of admitting people who, in his view, showed little respect for its culture and national identity.

“What's happening in France has to do with immigration, not schools, it's immigration!” Trump said.

He further argued that some newcomers had little regard for France’s landmarks, architecture and artistic heritage.

Trump also recalled an earlier conversation with Macron in which he said he had warned the French president about the risks of leaving the country's borders open.

“I told Macron a long time ago, 'You're making a big mistake in France. You're letting everybody from the world come in,'” Trump said.

Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also weighed in on the unrest in France, reportedly describing the situation as an “invasion of extremists.”

On October 17, unrest swept through parts of France as demonstrations linked to economic pressures, immigration and public services were accompanied by episodes of violence.

Footage from several locations showed cars engulfed in flames, storefronts ransacked, buildings damaged and protesters confronting police, bringing public safety and the government’s response to the forefront.