US President Donald Trump has invoked the violent unrest in France to warn Americans of what he claims could happen if Democrats gain power, as he campaigned to defend a Republican Senate seat in Kansas ahead of the November midterm elections.
Speaking at a rally on Monday in support of Republican incumbent Roger Marshall, Trump pointed to the riots and looting in France as a possible scenario for the United States if his political opponents win, without providing evidence to support the claim.
“I love you Kansas, but I’m here for a guy named Roger Marshall,” Trump told the crowd.
France has experienced some of its worst unrest in years in recent days, as protests over the cost of living and underfunded public services escalated into violence and looting.
“We’re not going to let that happen to this country,” Trump said. “When you see burning steeples and raging fires in France, just remember that is what the radical Dumocrats want to do to America.”
Trump has repeatedly used the term “Dumocrats” to mock Democrats. His remarks also included anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric, which civil rights groups have criticised for potentially normalising discrimination against minority communities.
Kansas Senate race becomes increasingly competitive
Kansas, a traditionally conservative Midwestern state that Trump won by 16 percentage points in 2024, has not elected a Democrat to the US Senate in 94 years.
However, first-term Republican Senator Marshall is facing a close challenge from Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton, a pastor at a Methodist megachurch.
Hamilton has criticised Trump’s tariff policies and what he describes as the president’s erratic leadership.
“He wants you to repent for being born White,” Trump said of Hamilton.
Marshall focused on cultural issues during his remarks, including opposition to what he called “radical Islam”. He also criticised Hamilton as being “too woke” for Kansas because of his support for gay pride parades, drawing loud boos from the crowd.
“We need someone who can sort heifers and steers,” Marshall said.
Hamilton’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a video released on Monday, Hamilton welcomed Trump to Kansas and said the president’s supporters had a place in his campaign. He pledged to work with Trump where appropriate while standing up for Kansans when federal policies harmed farmers and rural hospitals.
The closely contested race reflects the broader challenges facing Republicans as they seek to retain control of both chambers of Congress in the November 3 midterm elections.
Trump has embarked on a 32-day campaign blitz, frequently visiting areas where he has previously enjoyed strong electoral support.
One Republican familiar with his strategy said the president’s focus on rural communities followed internal polling that showed weakening support among men aged 55 and below in rural areas — a group that was crucial to his 2024 election victory.
Rising prices weigh on voters
Economic concerns remain a major challenge for Trump. A Reuters-Ipsos poll published on Monday found that just 31% of Americans approved of his performance, marking a record low for his presidency.
Democrats need a net gain of four seats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to overturn the Republicans’ narrow majorities.
At the rally in Park City, near Wichita, attendees crossed Interstate 135 on foot to reach the venue, passing a truck stop sign displaying petrol prices of US$3.98 per gallon and diesel at US$5.78 per gallon.
According to travel analyst AAA, average petrol prices in Kansas were around 45% higher per gallon than a year earlier.
The rising cost of living was a concern among some of Trump’s most loyal supporters.
“Being on disability, I don’t have much, but it seems like the prices are still going up and they need to come down. It feels like you’re having to search or hunt for food,” said Monique Mullen, 59, a Republican voter from Hutchinson who cares for her father.
A small group of protesters also gathered near the arena.
James Nightingale, a self-described independent voter and farmer from Halstead, criticised Trump’s trade policies, saying tariffs had damaged local grain markets and that beef imports were hurting the domestic agricultural sector.
“What happened to ‘America First’?” he asked.
Despite Kansas’s conservative leanings, voters have shown a willingness to cross party lines. Democrat Laura Kelly has won the state’s gubernatorial election in each of the past two terms.
“I don’t think it’s ever easy to get elected here,” said Gina Seman, a Trump voter from Towanda, adding that Republican candidates had sometimes taken their popularity for granted.
