State Department says Trump is ‘spot on’ with France protests after Macron decries ‘stupid’ comments

2026-10-23T13:07:07-04:00 / Fox News

Spokesperson Tommy Pigott defended Trump’s remarks on mass migration as Paris braces for more protests Saturday

By Greg Norman-Diamond Fox News

Published October 23, 2026 1:07pm EDT

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott speaks to Fox News Digital about the anti-government protests sweeping across France, which President Donald Trump said is being “looted and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists and communists.”

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The State Department told Fox News Digital that President Donald Trump’s views on France are “spot on” after French President Emmanuel Macron criticized foreign leaders for making “unacceptable and stupid comments” about the protests rocking the European country.

Speaking at a midterms rally on Monday, Trump said that “the migrants have taken over France” and that the country should close its borders following a weekend of anti-government demonstrations that evolved into rioting and looting. He added that France, a “once great nation,” is “being conquered, looted and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists and communists who hate Christianity” and “the Western civilization itself.”

Macron then claimed Wednesday that “there was foreign manipulation of information” following the protests, including AI-generated images that showed scenes that never happened in France, which gave way to “unacceptable and stupid comments from many people including foreign leaders.” Macron said he was referring to Trump, “among others,” and also mentioned, “We’ve had people claiming that we were invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists, which is completely false,” The Associated Press reported.

When asked for a reaction to Macron’s remarks, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told Fox News Digital that Trump “is on point as he is consistently on point.”

“He has been clear about the dangers of mass migration for years, especially since the beginning of this administration, but certainly long beforehand as well. The president has secured the border on day one when it comes to the United States of America,” Pigott said. “But we’ve also been clear from the State Department’s perspective that we are going to oppose international institutions, for example, that seek to impose an agenda upon sovereign nations to encourage mass migration.

President Donald Trump has spoken out about the mass protests, center, that have engulfed French President Emmanuel Macron’s country.(Reuters/Umit Bektas; Reuters/Abdul Saboor; Teresa Suarez/Reuters)

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“Mass migration is inherently destabilizing. It is inherently destabilizing. It is something that we don’t believe solves problems, but actually creates problems. And this is something the president has raised time and time again. He’s raised it in reaction to these recent protests,” Pigott added.

“He’s also raised it directly to world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly. Two years in a row raising this issue, calling for an end to the destructive policies of illegal amassed migration. Illegal amassed migration that, by the way, only helps criminal cartel groups. That’s something we see in our own hemisphere, for example,” Pigott continued. “The fact that cartel groups have traveled along these migration pathways. So the president is spot on, he’s bringing attention to this issue, he is taking action to address this issue and, from the State Department’s perspective, we have also taken concrete action to end the era of mass migration.”

FRANCE’S RIOT CHAOS FUELS FARAGE’S WARNING THAT MASS IMMIGRATION FAILURES COULD HAUNT ANOTHER COUNTRY NEXT

Protesters run past a looted store during a demonstration in Paris on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026.(Thibault Camus/AP)

The Louvre and other major museums in Paris will be closed on Saturday as more protests are scheduled in the French capital, according to the AP. Reuters also reported that businesses in central Paris have started boarding up their windows over concerns of violence.

French officials said more than 3,000 shops were looted, and some 2,500 people were taken into police custody in connection to last weekend’s nationwide protests.

“One of things that we really stress to Americans is that when they’re traveling abroad, if they could please register for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). That program lets you tell us which countries you’re going to so that we can provide real-time information to Americans in the country that have registered,” Pigott told Fox News Digital.

A fire burns as police officers in riot gear stand guard during civil unrest in Paris, France, the day after a national day of demonstrations against the cost of living and rising fuel prices on Oct. 18, 2026.(Reuters)

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“Speaking generally, when it comes to Americans that need assistance, we have personnel across the world at the State Department, at embassies and consulates that are working 24/7 to help the American people. If you have an issue when you’re abroad, please contact the embassy or consulate,” he added. “There are people that are there to help you that can provide information. Everything from a lost passport to responses to a security situation, that is something that is hugely important and a huge factor for the State Department.”

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.