French President Emmanuel Macron has publicly hit back at foreign leaders who commented on the recent rioting in France, calling their remarks “stupid.” When a reporter asked whether he was referring to President Donald Trump’s latest comments, Macron gave a two-word answer: “Among others.”
As reported by CNN, Macron, who is on a tour of the Persian Gulf, rejected claims that France had been “invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists,” calling them “completely false.” He added that those speaking ill of France “don’t love our country,” and said, “those people irritate me.”
The outlet noted that earlier this week, Trump claimed without providing evidence that France was being “conquered, looted and burned to the ground” by migrants, jihadists, and communists. Trump also argued the protests are about immigration rather than education, saying, “It’s about illegal people coming in who basically hate France.”
Macron says leaders are using France for their own campaigns
Vice President JD Vance wrote on X that “Western liberals imported the third world into France” in the name of diversity and compassion, per CNN. Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar also linked the violence to immigration policies in a post on X, calling for a strict approach to migration.
Macron pushed back, per CNN, saying there was no visible foreign interference in the events themselves. Instead, he said there “has been foreign manipulation of information in the aftermath” of last weekend’s looting in Paris and other French cities, leading to comments that are “as unacceptable as they are stupid.”
The Associated Press reported that Macron also pointed to “AI-generated images depicting scenes that never actually happened in France,” though he did not specify which images he meant. He said leaders in the middle of election campaigns, “whether in the region or on the other side of the Atlantic,” sometimes naively repeat such content or spread narratives that certain circles are trying to promote. “They’re using our country for their own political campaigns, and we don’t need that,” he added.
CNN noted that the protests began in September, initially focused on the cost of living and the state of education. The situation has since escalated into widespread rioting and looting, with reports of severe injuries.
French authorities said more than 2,000 people were arrested last weekend alone, per the outlet. The government has imposed localized curfews and is planning a large police presence for protests scheduled for Saturday.
During his tour, which includes stops in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Macron is working to address some of the economic concerns behind the initial protests. According to the Associated Press, he secured deals with the UAE and Bahrain for additional diesel supplies and also met with the Saudi crown prince about supplies.
Published: Oct 21, 2026 04:30 pm