Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on Emmanuel Macron, claiming that "Paris is going to be a Muslim city very soon" and that he warned the French president "a long time ago" to close the country's borders.
The US president, speaking about the ongoing riots in France, said he told Macron: "You're making a big mistake in France." He continued: "You're letting everybody from the world come in. The whole world was coming in and Paris is going to be a Muslim city very soon, and that wasn't the deal."
Riots and Protests Across France
Widespread riots and anti-government protests have been rocking France, following weeks of student demonstrations over school conditions. The movement escalated after the government announced major spending reductions and a wage freeze for state employees, sparking further unrest.
There have been fires in city centres, vandalism and property destruction, with riot police deployed. Thousands of arrests have been made, with injuries on both the protester and law enforcement sides.
Trump's Criticism of Macron
Trump said: "I told Emmanuel you should close up your borders. I've known him for maybe eight or nine years and I told him as soon as I met him, I said 'you're making a big mistake'."
He added: "We closed our borders. He didn't. His borders are a problem and he also has a little bit of a problem with energy. Emmanuel should've closed his borders a long time ago. I told him to do it."
Macron's Response
Trump made the comments ahead of leaving for a campaign rally in Wichita, Kansas. It is not the first time the US president has claimed the riots are due to mass migration.
His remarks came a day after Macron condemned the protests in a televised address, criticising the "unbridled violence" after one of the most violent days of unrest in years left a building burned, hundreds of shops destroyed and at least 2,400 people arrested.
The French leader said: "Watching these images, we have all asked ourselves how could French people do this to France?" He added that "nothing justifies" violence and that officials would be able to ban certain gatherings if deemed necessary.
