President Donald Trump addressed the riots in France on Sunday, rejecting French President Emmanuel Macron's attempt to blame the unrest on the Iran war and warning that Paris is heading toward a Muslim majority.
In a video posted by the White House Rapid Response account, Trump was asked about Macron's claim that the riots are linked to the Iran war. The president dismissed the excuse, saying, "The manual Macron is blaming the Iran War and you essentially was a rioting in France right now. I don't think it is, now I think it's effective."
'Paris Is Going to Be a Muslim City Very Soon'
Trump then issued a stark warning about the demographic transformation of the French capital, arguing that Macron's open-border policies were to blame.
"I told him a long time ago you make it a big mistake in France. You're letting everybody from the world come in. The whole world was coming in," Trump said. "As you know, Paris is going to be a Muslim city very soon. And that wasn't the deal. That wasn't the deal."
The president said he had personally advised Macron to close France's borders years ago, but the French leader failed to act.
"I told the man you should close up your borders. And let's see, I've known him for probably eight or nine years. I told him as soon as I met him, I said you make it a big mistake," Trump continued. "We closed our borders. He did. And you know what? His borders are a problem."
Macron's Energy Problems
Trump also noted that Macron faces energy challenges, though he acknowledged France is doing better than some other nations in that regard.
"And he also has a little bit of a problem with energy, but they have gone, you know, they're doing better than others," Trump said. "But the man you should have closed his borders a long time ago, I told him to do it."
The president's comments come as France grapples with civil unrest, with Macron attempting to shift blame to international conflicts rather than domestic policy failures.
