Donald Trump sought to capitalize on the scenes of unrest in France, telling a crowd in Kansas on Monday that “migrants” and “communists” were responsible, and that the scenes were “what the radical ‘Dumocrats’ want to do to America”.
As Republicans struggle to convince voters across the country ahead of November’s midterm elections, Trump’s allies in the conservative media have followed suit, seemingly hoping that the scenes in France can scare people to the polls.
Sean Hannity, perhaps Fox News’ most prominent host, delivered his version of the message on Tuesday. Speaking over clips of fires in France, with the chyron “A warning from Europe” emblazoned on the screen, Hannity said: “This is, sadly I argue, by design – an attempt by the left to destroy the free world, western civilisation, if you will.”
He added: “This is a preview of coming attractions here in America.”
Hannity wasn’t alone. On Monday, Fox News host Laura Ingraham had on Jamie Metzl, who describes himself as a “technology and healthcare futurist [and] geopolitical expert”, to draw the same comparison.
“If you like what you’re seeing in France then you should support these DSA candidates who are essentially calling for the same thing here,” Metzl said.
He was only echoing something Ingraham herself had said a few days earlier, in front of a cartoon version of a police flashing light with the words “A warning to America”. The chyron, as she spoke, could not have had a clearer message. It said in all capitals: “Don’t let America become France.”
“America, this is a warning. From the immigration disaster there, to the fiscal mismanagement, the same promises: free college, government-funded healthcare, tax the rich, climate change, open borders – they’re all being sold here, and they were implemented, some of them, here by AOC, Bernie, El-Sayed,” she said.
Most of the rest of Fox News agreed. Jesse Watters played clips of protests of violence in France on Monday, announcing that the goal is “to replace communism with capitalism”.
“It’s already started to happen here,” Watters added.
Lawrence Jones was of the same mind on Tuesday, reading out a tweet from JD Vance in which the vice-president said of the situation in France: “I hope Americans are paying attention. This is the future congressional Democrats seek for your country.”
Jones responded: “The vice-president is exactly right.” He then interviewed Ben Domenech, an editor at the Daily Wire, who also agreed with Vance. The scenes in France, Domenech warned, are “the consequences of becoming apologetic about their values, viewing nationalism as something which is a dirty word”.
Fox News wasn’t alone. On Newsmax on Monday, Bianca de la Garza was busy asking Rick Santorum, the former Republican senator, if the situation in France is a “wake-up call for America”.
Santorum said it was. “The people who are running as democratic socialists or really just any sort of mainstream Democrats if you will, leftists, they want to bring the economy and style of government of Europe to this country,” he said. That, Santorum said, would lead to violent protests in the US.
“The standard of living of the average European is far below the standard of living of Americans,” Santorum said, which would come as a surprise to the people who are paid to research such things.
The same day Greta Van Susteren had interviewed Tom Emmer, the Republican congressman from Minnesota, who trotted out the same line.
“Look, we’ve got the same example in this country that we better be watching what’s going on in France. We want everyone to come to this country and chase their American dream. We want them to come here legally. And we also, Greta, want them to come to be Americans. We celebrate culture in this country like no one else,” he said.
“If you don’t come to this country to be an American, what you’re seeing in Paris is what is going to happen. You cannot have a different country within your country,” Emmer continued.
One America News (OAN), arguably the most rightwing of the three channels, was not about to be left out.
On Monday, OAN invited Andrew Fox, whom it described as a “cultural expert”, on to the channel to discuss the protests. Fox, who has ۴۳۳ followers on X, said: “If we pay attention to what’s happening in Paris we can see our near future, if we don’t really toughen up immigration policy and the integration of how those immigrants become one with the nation they’re joining.”
Rounding out the message was David Pollack, one of OAN’s hosts, who at least adjusted his message slightly by looping in Italy. He tweeted a video of protesters in Italy, adding: “Now it’s happening in Italy: import the third world, and this is what you get. The sad thing was, this was all by design. And the Marxists are coming for the United States next.”
