US President Donald Trump is actively leveraging anti-government protests that began in France and spread across Europe for the midterm elections.

As the protests in major French cities over the weekend on October 17 (local time) escalated into arson and looting, he blamed the unrest on the massive influx of immigrants from Arab nations due to lax immigration policies. He is using this to emphasize the legitimacy of his own hardline immigration and border policies while political tools to rally his base.

Regarding the cause of these protests, which initially began when high school students in the suburbs of Paris demanded improvements to poor educational environments, President Trump already characterized them on October 6 as "uncontrolled mass immigration" and "the problem of Islam trying to take over France."

As the protests intensified to a level akin to civil unrest on October 17, President Trump stated on October 18, "France is burning. Immigrants from a completely different world harboring hatred in their hearts have torn that once-great country to pieces," adding, "Close your borders and take back control before it is too late."

President Trump began officially utilizing this for electoral purposes on October 19.

During a campaign speech in Kansas, known as a Republican stronghold, he asserted, "If you want to know what is at stake in this election, just look at what is happening in France."

He highlighted that the US has become safer due to his tough immigration and border control policies, while simultaneously sounding the alarm that if the opposition party wins the midterm elections, the protests unfolding in France could be replicated in the United States.

Referring to France, President Trump also claimed, "That once-great country is being conquered, looted, and burned to ashes by immigrants, jihadists, and communists who hate Christianity and Western civilization itself."

He emphasized, "We will not let these things happen here in the United States."

Before President Trump's speech at the Kansas rally, news footage containing videos of the violent protests in France was even screened on the big screen.

(Reported by JIN Sang-myeong | Video by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Produced by SBS Digital News)