A gunman firing from a car killed one person and wounded five others, including a 12-year-old girl, at three locations in Trappes and La Verrière west of Paris on Friday. A suspect was arrested and antiterrorism prosecutors opened an investigation; Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez called it a racist, probably Islamophobic attack. President Emmanuel Macron visited Trappes and called it a racist terrorist attack.
Why it matters: The attack is being handled as terrorism while France is already deploying tens of thousands of police for weekend protests.
President Emmanuel Macron condemned comments by foreign leaders, including Trump, that blamed migrants and Muslims for France's riots, calling the claims stupid. He said there had been foreign manipulation of information after the unrest.
Why it matters: The exchange adds strain to relations between France and the US and Israel during their election periods.
At a rally near Wichita for Senator Roger Marshall, President Trump said France was being "conquered, looted, and burned" by migrants and others, and warned the US would "burn" like France if Democrats win the midterms. He also said Paris would soon be "a Muslim city" and that he had told Macron he was making "a big mistake" on immigration. The midterm elections are on November 3.
Why it matters: The remarks bring French unrest into the US midterm campaign, as polls cited by France 24 and Sky News show Trump's approval at a record low.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll put Trump's approval at 31% and showed Democrats leading the generic congressional ballot by 12 points ahead of the 3 November midterms. Opposition to the Iran war is cited as a threat to Republican control, as Trump rallied in Kansas.
Why it matters: Control of Congress will shape US policy on Iran, Ukraine and trade.