Trump on France school protests: Islam wants to seize a once-great country

US President Donald Trump weighed in on the wave of school student protests sweeping France, making incendiary comments about religion and immigration on his Truth Social platform.

Trump claimed the demonstrations — which saw tens of thousands of high school students take to the streets over proposed curriculum reforms — were evidence of what he called Islam's desire to "seize" France. He framed the unrest as a consequence of European immigration policy failures.

The French government has not officially linked the protests to religion. Education Minister Nicole Belloubet said the demonstrations reflect student concerns about planned changes to the baccalaureate examination system and school funding. The government has pledged to enter dialogue with student unions.

Trump's remarks drew immediate criticism from French officials and European leaders, who called them inflammatory and factually incorrect. The French foreign ministry said the president's comments were unwelcome interference in the country's internal affairs.

The protests have paralyzed hundreds of schools across France, with students blocking entrances and staging sit-ins. Union leaders say they will continue demonstrations until the government withdraws the reform proposals.