WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday blamed “open borders” for a weekend of unrest in France, pointing to looting, arson and confrontations with police as a warning that similar turmoil could reach the United States under Democratic leadership.
“France is descending into chaos because they wanted OPEN BORDERS — just like the socialist Democrats in America,” Johnson, R-La., wrote on X. His comments came after centrist and conservative French politicians accused the country’s political left of inflaming the violence.
Johnson called the unrest “a chilling warning” for Americans, arguing that a victory by what he described as the “radical Marxist insurgent left” would threaten the nation’s freedoms, civilization and way of life.
“If Democrats take back control, it will be open borders and criminal illegals overrunning our country, many of whom want to destroy it,” Johnson added.
The rise of self-described socialist candidates within the Democratic Party also led veteran Democratic strategist James Carville to say Sunday that he hopes Republicans retain control in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
“I would rather the Republicans keep the House by five than the Democrats to win by five because if that happens, they’re hostage to the [Democratic Socialists of America],” Carville told The Bulwark.
Although President Trump’s term is scheduled to end in January 2029, a Democratic takeover of Congress would sharply constrain his legislative plans and could subject his administration to extensive investigations.
Videos circulated online Saturday showed largely young crowds ransacking luxury retailers and hurling objects at police. Masked attackers set fire to the historic town hall in Limoges, while as many as 2,000 businesses around France were reported damaged.
Trump and other American conservatives have attributed the unrest, which followed weeks of tension, to large-scale migration from poorer regions of the Middle East and Africa. The available footage, however, showed suspects from a range of racial and ethnic backgrounds.
The demonstrations began last month over school conditions before expanding to broader economic grievances, including rising inflation and fuel costs.
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Roughly 500,000 people took part in protests across France on Saturday. A smaller group later engaged in criminal activity, echoing the pattern seen in the United States in May and June 2020, when nationwide demonstrations over police brutality followed the killing of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer.
Immigrants were not a central force in the violence during that earlier wave of protests and rioting in the United States. Looting was largely led by urban youths, while politically driven arson and vandalism were generally attributed to multiracial activists who described themselves as Antifa, or anti-fascist.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, an ally of centrist President Emmanuel Macron, accused longtime left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon of helping fuel the weekend’s disorder. Mélenchon countered that police violence had provoked the protesters.
Marine Le Pen, the populist conservative who is polling ahead of Mélenchon before the April presidential election, said the country’s “legitimate social demands” had once again been exploited by the far left. She accused Mélenchon’s deputies of endorsing violence, treating public order as oppression and portraying disorder as a right.
Vice President JD Vance offered a similar assessment Saturday on X. “Western liberals imported the third world into France and other countries in the name of diversity and compassion,” he wrote, arguing that leaders had ignored questions surrounding assimilation and cultural compatibility.
Trump also weighed in Monday on Truth Social, writing: “The migrants have taken over France. They must CLOSE THE BORDERS, FAST!”
At the same time, Trump has repeatedly embraced France’s centuries-old revolutionary tradition. He launched his 2024 comeback campaign with “Do You Hear the People Sing?” from “Les Miserables,” a song associated with the failed 1832 uprising against the French government.
Last month, Trump had a military band perform several songs from the musical during a state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping, despite the fact that some of the music had been censored by Beijing.
Trump referenced France’s revolutionary history during a rally in Georgia on Friday as he discussed how families might use his proposed $5,000 rebate checks on overseas travel if Republicans prevail in the midterms.
“Let’s go to — how about France? It’s a lovely place. No riots, no revolutions. You know, France seems to be so damn good for revolutions, it’s unbelievable,” Trump told the crowd. He then joked about spending the money in France before adding that the checks would come with a requirement to spend them in the United States.
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