Macron hits back at Trump over immigration remarks

French President Emmanuel Macron has strongly criticised US President Donald Trump over his remarks on unrest in France, describing comments by foreign leaders about the situation as unacceptable and foolish. Macron accused some leaders of spreading misleading narratives about the country’s internal affairs for political purposes.

Speaking to journalists during his visit to Qatar, Macron said misinformation had spread following incidents of violence and looting in France. He said several public figures, including foreign leaders, had made irresponsible comments based on inaccurate information.

Trump had linked protests against inflation and rising living costs in France to immigration. He blamed immigrants for incidents of violence and looting and urged the French government to close its borders.

Macron rejected claims that France was facing a large-scale influx or assault by immigrants and Islamists. He said such allegations were entirely false and warned that misleading narratives were being used to serve political interests.

The French president also raised concerns about AI-generated images circulating on social media. According to Macron, some of these images depict scenes in France that never actually occurred. He said such fabricated content could distort public understanding of events and fuel misinformation.

When a journalist asked whether his criticism was directed at Trump, Macron said it applied to the US president as well as other individuals who had made similar statements.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also responded to the controversy. He said the French Foreign Ministry was prepared to provide the necessary clarifications to the countries concerned to prevent false information and unfounded claims from spreading further.

Trump had previously connected protests and violence in France with immigration and called on Macron to shut the country’s borders. The US president also claimed that Paris would soon become a Muslim city, a statement that added to tensions over his comments on France’s immigration policies.