Donald Trump attributes French student protests to mass immigration and Islam ahead of US midterms

Trump links French student protests to immigration

United States President Donald Trump published a message on Truth Social on Tuesday asserting that mass student protests in France are driven by uncontrolled immigration rather than grievances regarding schools. The statement addressed demonstrations that have shut down hundreds of secondary schools across France since mid-September. Trump dismissed claims from student organizers regarding school funding and class schedules, framing the civil unrest around demographic and religious transformation. French authorities reported that tens of thousands of adolescents participated in the demonstrations on Tuesday, the third nationwide mobilization organized by student groups.

What is happening in France is nothing more than uncontrolled mass immigration. This is not about schools, it is Islam trying to take over a once-great country!

US conservative reaction and midterm election stakes

Trump's intervention coincided with a push by American conservative media figures who shared video footage of the French demonstrations across social networks. Dave Rubin, who reaches 1.6 million followers on X, distributed video on Monday recorded inside a French railway station to argue against political opponents in the United States.

This will happen in the United States if Democrats take back power.

Conservative commentator Glenn Beck, who has 2.2 million followers on X, described the unrest as part of an organized international campaign.

What is happening in France is part of an international network of socialists who want to dismantle the West.

These statements arrive weeks ahead of the United States midterm elections on 3 November 2026. The Republican Party faces difficult polling numbers and the potential loss of control over the United States Congress, with voters expressing discontent over the rising cost of living.

Grievances and school closures across French cities

The protest movement originated in the northern suburbs of Paris in mid-September before spreading to major cities including Marseille, Strasbourg, and Lyon. High school students organized blockades against educational buildings, joined by university students, teachers, education unions, and parent associations. Demonstrators have cited chronic teacher shortages, overloaded academic curricula, extended school hours, and deteriorating building infrastructure as the primary causes of their action. On Tuesday, approximately 90,000 demonstrators took to the streets nationwide, leading to the closure of 900 schools. The French government faces continued pressure as student unions demand larger budget allocations for the public education sector.

Clashes, injuries, and judicial proceedings

Multiple demonstrations turned into street clashes between youths and police forces, leaving nearly 200 young protesters injured and resulting in injuries to 65 police officers and gendarmes. Vandalism and property damage affected more than 400 high schools, alongside damage to commercial stores and municipal buildings totaling millions of euros. The French Ministry of Justice announced that law enforcement agencies have detained 5,060 people since the start of the unrest, with minors accounting for 4,406 of the total (87%). Judicial officials initiated prosecutions against 1,803 individuals, placing 1,483 minors and 319 adults in preventative custody. Courts ordered 14 people, including four adolescents, into provisional pre-trial detention.