Macron Rejects Trump's Claims on French Riots, Cites Foreign Interference

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday refuted claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that immigrants and Muslims were behind the recent riots in France. Macron stated that foreign leaders, including some "across the Atlantic," are attempting to exploit France's tense social climate for their political agendas. When asked if he was referring to Trump, Macron replied, "Among others."

Trump had previously suggested the protests, initially framed as a reaction to school conditions, were actually a hostile takeover by Muslims. He posted on Truth Social that "what is happening in France is nothing more than mass immigration that is out of control" and that "Islam wants to take over a country that was once great." Following riots where over 2,000 people were arrested and 3,000 businesses looted or damaged, Trump wrote, "France is burning! Mass immigration of people from a completely different world, people with hate in their hearts, has destroyed this country that was once great. Close your borders and take control, before it is too late!"

During a visit to the Gulf states, Macron addressed the situation, describing the looting in Paris and other cities as a result of "foreign manipulation of information." He called the resulting statements "unacceptable and foolish," including those from foreign leaders. Macron specifically mentioned the spread of "AI-generated images depicting scenes that never actually happened in France," such as claims of mass invasions by immigrants and Islamists, which he deemed "completely false."

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated that his ministry could provide clarifications to concerned countries to help them avoid spreading false information. Earlier, Barrot had warned of foreign interference in upcoming presidential elections, citing Elon Musk and an "Israeli company" as examples. He alleged that foreign actors were exploiting divisions and using issues like immigration, secularism, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to incite hatred. Barrot specifically pointed to an Israeli firm, believed to be BlackCore, for allegedly creating fake French social media accounts to stage artificial conflicts around the Palestinian issue and smear candidates from the far-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party during municipal elections.

While official France has not directly linked the Israeli government to election interference, far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being the source of risks to the upcoming presidential elections. Mélenchon, whose LFI party has been linked to the recent violent protests, is known for his anti-Israel stances and support for the Palestinians. French media noted that Mélenchon's comments came amid allegations of the Israeli company's involvement in local elections aimed at harming his party's candidates.

Meanwhile, President Macron continued his tour of the Gulf states, visiting Kuwait, the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar before an unannounced stop in Saudi Arabia. This visit made him the first Western leader to visit the Kingdom since an escalation in Houthi attacks. Macron's trip, which drew criticism in France for occurring during a domestic crisis, aimed to secure diesel and gas supplies from Gulf nations to lower fuel prices, a key factor in public anger. He secured commitments for extended diesel shipments from Saudi Arabia and supplies from the UAE and Bahrain, totaling over 10% of France's monthly consumption.