Violent far-left riots in France are ‘chilling warning’ for Americans at home, Mike Johnson says

October 19, 2026 12:04pm EDT / Fox News

The House speaker compared far-left groups in France to ‘socialist Democrats’ who are pro-illegal immigration

By Elizabeth Elkind, Fox News

France riots foreshadow America’s future under leftist rule, Ben Domenech warns

Fox News contributor Ben Domenech reacts to Vice President JD Vance’s warning about the unrest in France and argues the U.S. should reject similar immigration policies.

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The violent riots rocking France are a dark harbinger of what could happen in the United States if Democrats win the midterms, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is warning.

The top leader in the House of Representatives compared the far-left groups plunging France into chaos to the socialist insurgency that’s gripped the Democratic Party. And the coming election, he argued, is the best way to prevent the same scenes from playing out in the U.S.

“France is descending into chaos because they wanted OPEN BORDERS — just like the socialist Democrats in America,” Johnson posted on X. “What we are witnessing is a chilling warning for all Americans of what happens if the radical Marxist insurgent left gets their way.”

FRANCE’S VIOLENT STUDENT PROTESTS RAISE WARNING FOR AMERICA: ‘A CAUTIONARY TALE’

Far-left groups were blamed for plunging nationwide demonstrations into violent chaos in France over the weekend.(Lucas Sansberro/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images; Tobias Canales/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)

He blamed the riots on France having overly lax rules for illegal immigration, an issue that proved pivotal in Republicans’ 2024 victories here at home.

“America is not merely in a battle of political ideologies — it’s a battle for the preservation of our civilization, our freedoms, and our 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 said.

More than 500,000 people took to the streets in various cities and towns across France this weekend, protesting high living costs and the price of education, among other issues.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, speaks to members of the media after a meeting with House Republicans at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on July 15, 2026.(Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

French authorities said 1,800 people were arrested nationwide, with over 800 of those in the capital city of Paris alone.

VIOLENCE ERUPTS AT FRANCE PROTESTS AS MACRON WARNS UNREST IS BEING EXPLOITED

Photos and videos showed centuries-old buildings being destroyed as protesters set fire to public property and looted stores.

France’s centrist government blamed far-left groups for fomenting the violence.

LIMOGES TOWN HALL ‘LARGELY LOST’ AFTER FAR-LEFT RIOTERS SET HISTORIC BUILDING ON FIRE AMID FRENCH UNREST

Pedestrians walk along a street covered in debris a day after nationwide protests against the “high cost of living” in Marseille on Oct. 18, 2026.(Thibaud Moritz/AFP/Getty Images)

And images showing some protesters carrying Algerian, Palestinian and Moroccan flags have led figures on the right to blame France’s immigration policies.

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“What’s happening in France is the progressive political agenda at its natural conclusion. When you build a massive welfare state while increasing your population through third-world migration, it isn’t long before basic social order collapses,” Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, posted on X.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com