US President Donald Trump has warned that the United States could experience unrest similar to the recent violence in France if Democrats gain political ground, using the situation in the European country to rally support for Republican Senator Roger Marshall ahead of the November midterm elections.
Trump made the remarks on Monday during a campaign rally in Park City, Kansas, where he sought to defend Marshall’s Senate seat amid growing concerns among Republicans over rising prices and public dissatisfaction with the administration’s policies.
“I love you Kansas, but I’m here for a guy named Roger Marshall,” Trump told supporters.
During the rally, Trump referred to the recent protests in France, arguing that similar scenes could occur in the United States if Republicans lose political control. He provided no evidence to support the claim.
France has experienced some of its worst unrest in years in recent days, as demonstrations over the rising cost of living and underfunded public services escalated into riots and looting.
Trump, who has faced difficulties in making goods and services more affordable in the United States, used the unrest to criticise Democrats and renew his attacks on immigration and Muslim communities.
“We’re not going to let that happen to this country,” he 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 the Democratic Party. Rights advocates have criticised his rhetoric over the years, arguing that his attacks on immigrants and ethnic minorities risk normalising discriminatory attitudes.
Tight Senate Race in Traditionally Republican Kansas
Kansas is a conservative Midwestern state that Trump won by 16 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election. The state has not elected a Democrat to the US Senate in 94 years, but Republican Senator Roger Marshall is facing a competitive challenge from Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton.
Hamilton, a pastor at a Methodist megachurch, has criticised Trump’s tariff policies and what he describes as the president’s “erratic leadership.”
Attacking his Democratic opponent during the rally, Trump said Hamilton wanted voters to feel guilty about their racial identity.
“He wants you to repent for being born White,” Trump said of Hamilton.
Marshall also focused on cultural issues, including opposition to what he called “radical Islam.” He described Hamilton as “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 dismissed the Republican senator’s message, arguing that the rally failed to address the economic difficulties facing residents.
“Nothing said at the rally can distract from the fact Kansans are being crushed by rising gas and diesel prices, struggling to access affordable healthcare, and are tired of Washington corruption,” campaign spokesperson Tyson Brody said.
In a video released on Monday, Hamilton welcomed Trump to Kansas and said the president’s supporters had “a place” in his campaign. He added that he would work with Trump when appropriate but stand up for Kansans when federal policies harmed farmers and rural hospitals.
Economic Concerns Challenge Republicans Ahead of Midterms
The close race in Kansas reflects the wider challenges facing Republicans as they seek to retain control of Congress in the November 3 midterm elections.
Trump has embarked on a 32-day campaign tour, frequently visiting areas that strongly supported him in previous elections.
A Republican familiar with the president’s midterm strategy said his focus on rural communities followed internal polling that showed weakening support among rural men aged 55 and younger, a group that played an important role in Trump’s 2024 victory.
Economic concerns are also weighing on the administration.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Monday found that only 31 per cent of Americans approved of Trump’s performance in office, marking a record low for the president.
Democrats need a net gain of four seats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to overturn the Republicans’ narrow majorities. Republicans currently hold a 218-214 advantage in the House and a 53-47 majority in the Senate.
At the rally in Park City, near Wichita, many attendees walked more than a mile across Interstate 135 to reach the rural venue. A nearby truck stop displayed fuel prices of $3.98 per gallon for petrol and $5.78 for diesel.
According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), average petrol prices in Kansas were about 45 per cent higher than they had been 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, Kansas, who cares for her father.
Farmers and Protesters Voice Opposition to Trump
A small group of protesters gathered near the rally venue, including James Nightingale, an independent voter and farmer from Halstead, Kansas.
Nightingale accused Trump’s policies of damaging the local agricultural economy, particularly through tariffs and competition from imported beef.
“I’m a farmer from Kansas and the Trump administration has decimated the farm economy in my area. Not only have his tariffs decimated our markets for grain sales, now he is bringing in imported beef from outside the country. What happened to ‘America First’?” he said.
Despite Kansas’s strong Republican history, voters have shown a willingness to support candidates from different parties. Democrat Laura Kelly has won the state’s gubernatorial elections for the past two terms.
Gina Seman, a Trump supporter from Towanda, Kansas, acknowledged that winning elections in the state was not always straightforward.
“I don’t think it’s ever easy to get elected here,” she said, adding that Republican candidates had sometimes taken their popularity for granted.
The Senate contest will test whether Republicans can maintain their traditional support in Kansas amid concerns about prices, tariffs and the broader direction of the Trump administration.
