Macron has rejected claims that France is being overwhelmed by migrants and Islamists, warning that AI-generated images and misleading narratives are distorting the picture of the country’s protests.
BY PC Bureau
October 21: French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday strongly rejected US President Donald Trump’s claims linking France’s recent unrest to immigration and Islam, describing the allegations as “stupid” and “unacceptable” and accusing foreign leaders of exploiting the country’s domestic tensions for political gain.
The protests, which began with students demanding more teachers and better school conditions, widened to include trade unions and demonstrators concerned about inflation, rising living costs and deteriorating public services. France’s Interior Ministry estimated that 550,000 people took part, while the CGT trade union put the figure at 800,000.
The protests centred largely on economic hardship and public services, rather than immigration. Trump, however, attributed violence and looting in Paris and other French cities to the arrival of migrants, arguing that France and other European countries had made a mistake by allowing large numbers of people from different parts of the world to enter.
Trump claimed he had warned Macron that France was “making a big mistake” and predicted that “Paris is going to be a Muslim city very soon.” He also urged European governments to “close its borders and bring the criminals out.”
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ost, Trump declared that “France is burning” because of immigration from “an entirely different world” and told Macron to “close your Borders and take control before it is too late.”
Macron hit back, saying the weekend’s violence had been followed by “foreign manipulation of information” and misleading commentary from political figures abroad. He condemned remarks by several foreign leaders as “as unacceptable as they are stupid.” Asked whether he was referring to Trump, Macron replied, “Among others.”
🇫🇷 🇺🇸 Macron Fires Back at Trump Over Images and Claims About France
“Unacceptable and blatantly stupid.”
Macron’s description of comments made by numerous people, including foreign leaders.
He says foreign information manipulation was involved, AI-generated images showed events that never happened in France, and claims of an invasion by migrants and Islamists were completely false.
— SilencedSirs◼️ (@SilentlySirs) October 21, 2026
Rejecting claims that France had been “invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists,” Macron called the allegations “completely false.” He also warned about the circulation of AI-generated images depicting events that had never occurred, saying such material was being used to distort the picture of what was happening in France.
The French president accused politicians campaigning for elections, both in neighbouring countries and “on the other side of the Atlantic,” of repeating fabricated material and amplifying narratives promoted by others to serve their own political interests.
“People who speak ill of France today don’t love our country,” Macron said, arguing that France was being used as a political instrument by leaders seeking electoral advantage.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said his ministry was ready to provide clarifications to the countries concerned to prevent misleading claims from gaining further traction on social media.
Separately, at the conclusion of his Gulf tour, Macron announced that France had secured a monthly supply of 100,000 metric tonnes of diesel from the United Arab Emirates. A similar volume from Bahrain was expected to be finalised.
The sharp exchange highlights the growing divide between Macron and Trump over immigration, Islam and the causes of France’s social unrest, with Macron accusing foreign politicians of exploiting domestic tensions and spreading disinformation for political gain.
