Macron condemns Trump and Netanyahu over France unrest narrative

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned comments by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu linking unrest in France to Muslim immigrants and Islamic extremism. Speaking in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday (21/10), Macron called the remarks by the foreign leaders “unacceptable” and “stupid,” and said France’s social crisis was being exploited for political gain ahead of elections in their own countries. He also warned of a surge in foreign disinformation, including AI-generated images, used to build a narrative that France was facing an immigrant “invasion.” Macron stressed there was no evidence of direct foreign interference in the demonstrations, but said the spread of misleading information after the unrest was a major concern for his government.