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. 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”. 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”. 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”.
That, Santorum said, would lead to violent protests in the US. The same day Greta Van Susteren had interviewed Tom Emmer, the Republican congressman from Minnesota, who trotted out the same line. We want everyone to come to this country and chase their American dream.
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