Trump uses European riots as flashpoint ahead on campaign trail
By Sarah Roderick-Fitch
The Center Square
With two weeks left until the midterm elections, President Donald Trump and his administration are hitting the campaign trail hard, shifting focus from some domestic issues to riots in Western Europe.
The Center Square traveled with Trump to Wichita, Kan., on Monday as he crisscrosses the country, holding rallies in traditionally red states every night this week.
With the days dwindling and polls showing tight races across the U.S., Trump iss warning attendees that a vote for Democrats could lead to an uprising in violence in the states.
“If you want to see what is at stake in this election, just look at what’s happening in France, a once-great nation that is being conquered, looted and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists, and communists who hate Christianity and Western civilization itself,” the president said during his rally in Park City, Kan., Monday evening.
While many leaders in Europe are attributing the riots to education costs and the high cost of living, Trump and Republicans are pointing to years of unchecked migration in Western Europe.
The president echoed earlier comments about France’s open border, claiming he had warned French President Emmanuel Macron to close it.
Trump doubled down on his criticisms of Europe in a Truth Social post Monday night.
He claimed that it is the Democratic “agenda” to “extinguish Western Civilization.”
“They want to open the borders, shut down the power plants, set loose the criminals, turn your children transgender, confiscate your money, and raise up the Palestinian flag, while they defile the American flag,” Trump posted.
Trump did hit on several domestic issues, including cutting taxes, securing the border, increasing domestic energy production and protecting children from “transgender mutilation.”
At the Kansas rally, Trumpspoke in a packed, sweltering arena for more than 90 minutes, interrupted multiple times by protesters who were escorted from the rally. Trump claimed the protesters are “paid.”
Joining Trump on the trip to Kansas was Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Sens. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Roger Marshall, R-Kan.
Trump used the event to stump for Marshall in a race for reelection against Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton, with polls showing a tightening race.
In addition to Kansas, Trump plans to hold rallies in North Carolina, South Carolina, Iowa, Florida, Georgia and Michigan this week.