White House used the France protest to campaign for US midterms in favour of Republicans
The movement also brought together groups opposed to the government’s economic policies, including supporters of the Yellow Vest movement that staged mass protests in 2018. A video published by the White House on October 23 combined footage of violence in France with excerpts from Trump’s speech at a rally in Kansas, where he blamed migrants and other groups for the country’s turmoil. The unrest gathered momentum in September, beginning with student demonstrations over staff shortages and conditions in schools before drawing in teachers, parents, trade unions and other protesters angry about living costs and public spending. The White House’s post follows President Donald Trump’s repeated attempts to link the French unrest to immigration and left-wing politics. Trump and other Republicans have invoked the French unrest to argue that Democratic policies could lead to similar disorder in the United States. However, reports on the protests identify school conditions, the cost of living, inequality and public services among the movement’s central grievances, while the violence was concentrated among some groups participating in the wider demonstrations.
The messaging comes just days before the US midterm elections, in which control of Congress is at stake.
The post comes amid some of France’s worst unrest in decades, with demonstrations over rising living costs, inequality and deteriorating public services escalating into violence in several cities. The Trump administration has seized on the scenes to criticise immigration policies and portray Democrats as a threat to law and order.