Trump attacks ‘migrants and communists’ as he tries to exploit France unrest

<p>President at Kansas rally tries to turn protests into cautionary tale for US as Republicans face midterm losses</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/18/europe-protests-france-spain-portugal-2026-explainer">Explainer: why are people protesting across Europe?</a></p></li></ul><p>As Republicans confront mounting political headwinds ahead of November’s midterm elections, Donald Trump is attempting to turn unrest in France into a cautionary tale for American voters, recasting the demonstrations that began as student protests against crumbling schools and the soaring <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/19/the-guardian-view-on-frances-protests-a-polarised-country-is-in-a-perilous-political-moment">cost of living</a> as evidence of the dangers of immigration and the erosion of western civilization.</p><p>At a rally in Kansas on Monday evening, Trump described France as a once-great nation that had been “conquered, looted, and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists, and communists”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/19/trump-france-protests">Continue reading...</a>