French President Emmanuel Macron has criticised foreign leaders, including United States President Donald Trump, for exploiting recent riots and looting in France for political purposes, following claims linking the unrest to Muslim migrants.

Macron, who spoke on Wednesday, said foreign actors were taking advantage of France’s tense social climate to promote misleading narratives about the violence that erupted in Paris and other French cities over the weekend.

The protests triggered by rising living costs, escalated into widespread rioting and looting, attracting international attention and raising concerns among French citizens.

Trump had used the unrest to rally his political supporters, making claims that Muslim migrants were responsible for the violence and urging Macron to close France’s borders and take control of the situation before it was too late.

Responding to the claims, Macron alleged that foreign manipulation of information had followed the violence, describing some comments by foreign leaders as unacceptable and stupid.

When asked by a journalist whether he was referring to Trump, Macron replied, “Among others.”

The French president also raised concerns about the circulation of artificial intelligence-generated images allegedly depicting events that never occurred in France.

He said some individuals had falsely portrayed the country as having been invaded by large numbers of migrants and Islamists, insisting that such claims were completely untrue.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also criticised the spread of unverified information, saying his office could provide the countries concerned with the necessary clarifications to prevent the circulation or amplification of false claims on social media.

Macron and Trump previously maintained a cordial relationship, although the US president has repeatedly mocked his French counterpart in public speeches.

Expressing his displeasure over the criticism of France, Macron said those speaking negatively about the country were acting against its interests.

He further accused some foreign leaders, particularly those involved in election campaigns, of repeating AI-generated content or promoting narratives about the unrest for political advantage.

According to him, such actions risked turning France’s domestic challenges into instruments of foreign political campaigns.

Macron made the remarks in Qatar at the end of a tour of key energy suppliers in Gulf Arab states.

During the visit, he secured an additional 100,000 metric tonnes of diesel monthly from the United Arab Emirates, while a further 100,000 tonnes was expected to be confirmed in Bahrain.