On 21 October 2026 in Doha, Macron called foreign leaders' comments unacceptable and even foolish, and said foreign manipulation of information followed the weekend riots, with no foreign interference found in the events themselves.
Trump told a Kansas rally on 19 October that France was being invaded, looted and set on fire by migrants, jihadists and communists. On 20 October Netanyahu said France had succumbed to the invasion of extremist Islam.
Macron said AI-generated images showing scenes that never happened in France had circulated, and that some claims of an invasion by hordes of migrants and Islamists were completely false. He did not specify which images he meant.
Marine Le Pen accused Macron on X of promoting conspiracy theories and argued that the images seen the previous Saturday reflect the reality in France after ten years of Macron in power.
On Wednesday, 21 October 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron held a press conference in Doha, Qatar, after a tour of the Gulf region. He condemned comments by foreign leaders about the unrest in France as unacceptable and even foolish. He did not name anyone, but his remarks clearly referred to recent statements by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, both of whom are campaigning for elections. Asked whether he meant Trump, Macron replied that his comments applied to others as well. Macron said he saw no foreign interference in the events of the weekend itself, but accused foreign actors of manipulating how the disorder was presented.
Protests over the rising cost of living brought serious clashes, confrontations and looting to several French cities over the weekend of 17 and 18 October, including Paris. Macron said the disorder had been followed by the circulation of images generated by artificial intelligence that showed scenes never seen in France. He said some people claimed France had been invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists, which he called completely false. He did not specify which images he meant. Macron also said some political leaders campaigning in their own countries had repeated such material, sometimes out of gullibility and sometimes deliberately.
At a campaign rally in Kansas on Monday, 19 October, Trump said France was being invaded, looted and set on fire by migrants, jihadists and communists. He warned that Democrats in America wanted to do the same ahead of the November midterm elections. On Tuesday, 20 October, Netanyahu said France had succumbed to the invasion of extremist Islam. Trump also urged Macron to close the borders and regain control before it was too late, and he has voiced support for Marine Le Pen, calling her a conservative voice ahead of next year's presidential election. Le Pen accused Macron on X of promoting conspiracy theories, arguing that the images seen the previous Saturday reflect the grim reality in France after ten years of Macron in power.
Macron said the French government is working to prevent a repeat of the violent incidents. He announced he would meet intelligence officials and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Paris was ready to give the countries concerned the clarifications they need to avoid spreading false information and making unfounded claims on social media. Macron also addressed young people, saying they must be heard and supported, and acknowledged that he may not have done some things well enough over the past years. The chart below lists the dated steps in the dispute, from the weekend unrest to Macron's remarks in Doha.
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Speaking in Doha on 21 October 2026, Macron called foreign leaders' comments on the French riots unacceptable and even foolish, while saying AI-generated images had fed false claims. He did not name Trump or Netanyahu.
AI text based on reports by Η Ναυτεμπορική, in.gr, NEWS 24/7 and other publishers. Published .