During his campaign rally in Iowa, former U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the recent race riots in France and expressed his intention to reinstate a comprehensive travel restriction.
The civil unrest in France was sparked by the shooting of a 17-year-old during a traffic stop in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris.
The incident led to more than 180 arrests, and buildings such as police stations and schools were set on fire by a group primarily comprised of individuals with brown skin.
Trump highlighted the turmoil in France as a warning, emphasizing the need for the United States to take proactive measures to safeguard against similar unrest.
“When I return to office, the travel ban is coming back, even bigger than before and much stronger than before,” Trump announced. “We don’t want people blowing up our shopping centers, we don’t want people blowing up our cities, and we don’t want people stealing our farms—that’s not going to happen.”
He proceeded to draw parallels between the ongoing situation in France and the possible future of the United States in the absence of preventive measures.
“The United States will not be condemned to the same fate as is happening in France,” Trump stated, recalling a past conversation, “and I told Macron this was going to happen when I first met him.”
On January 28, 2017, Trump implemented a travel ban that focused on seven countries with sizable Muslim populations, citing their connection to terrorism. This ban received validation through a Supreme Court ruling in June 2018, with a 5-4 majority.
In addition to reinstating the travel ban, Trump emphasized the significance of cultural assimilation.
“We must also redouble our efforts to ensure that anyone who comes to America shares our values and assimilates into our culture,” he said to the Council Bluffs audience. “We don’t want people coming into our country that hate us; we want people that love us.”
He later questioned the logic behind an open-border policy.
“Who the hell wants an open border for the world to spill in and for them to dump every person who’s mentally ill, or a convicted killer or convict into our country?” Trump asked. “I mean, who wants that? How is it good for us?”
