French President Emmanuel Macron accused U.S. President Donald Trump and other foreign leaders of making "stupid comments" about recent unrest in France to advance their own political agendas.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to Qatar on Wednesday, Macron said there had been "foreign manipulation of information" following riots and looting that erupted during protests over the cost of living last weekend. He described the remarks as "as unacceptable as they are stupid" and noted that some leaders were "naively spreading narratives" or repeating AI-generated images depicting scenes that never occurred.

When asked specifically if he meant Trump, Macron replied, "Among others." He added that leaders in election campaigns "on the other side of the Atlantic" were "using our country for their own political campaigns."

The unrest began on October 17 during large demonstrations against rising fuel prices, living costs, and strained public services. Protests in Paris and other cities turned violent, with widespread looting, arson, and clashes with police. Authorities reported more than 2,000 arrests and nearly 1,000 officers injured. Macron has urged calm ahead of further planned protests this weekend.

Trump has repeatedly linked the violence to immigration, describing it as the work of "migrants, jihadists and communists" and warning that France faces an invasion by "hordes of migrants and Islamists." He has used the events to bolster Republican messaging ahead of U.S. midterm elections.

Macron rejected claims of a migrant takeover as "completely false" and said fabricated online content was circulating to stoke fears. He denied any evidence of direct foreign interference in the protests themselves but criticized the spread of misleading information afterward.

The French leader is preparing for more demonstrations while his government faces criticism over its handling of the crisis, with France's next presidential election scheduled for 2027.