Trump Tells Kansas Rally That Democrats Would Let America ‘Burn’ Like France

PARK CITY, Kan. — President Donald Trump told a Monday rally in Kansas that the United States would “burn” like France if Democrats win the Nov. 3 midterm elections, adding France’s recent unrest to his closing campaign pitch as he tried to save a Republican-held Senate seat.

France unrest enters the stump speech

France in recent days has seen some of the worst unrest in years, as large protests over the cost of living and underfunded public services descended into riots and looting, according to Reuters. Trump tied that unrest directly to his domestic opponents, offering no evidence.

The president also returned to anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric that marked his three presidential campaigns. Rights advocates have long said that rhetoric normalizes discriminatory attitudes toward immigrants and ethnic minority groups.

Marshall, speaking before Trump, led his own argument on cultural issues. He said he wanted to stop “radical Islam,” called Hamilton “too woke” for Kansas because he supports gay pride parades, which the crowd loudly booed, and added: “We need someone who can sort heifers and steers.”

A seat Republicans cannot afford to lose

Marshall, a first-term senator, is in a close fight with Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton, the pastor of a Methodist megachurch who is campaigning against Trump’s tariff agenda and what he calls the president’s “erratic leadership.” Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in 94 years, though Trump won the state by 16 points in 2024.

Hamilton’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a video posted Monday, Hamilton welcomed Trump to the state, said his supporters have “a place” in his campaign, and said he will work with Trump when it makes sense and stand up for Kansans when Washington policies hurt farmers and rural hospitals.

The tightness of the race is emblematic of a difficult year shaping up for Republicans in the Nov. 3 midterms, when they must defy political headwinds to keep control of the Senate and House. Democrats need a net gain of four seats in both chambers to overturn Republican majorities of 218-214 and 53-47, Reuters reported. A Reuters-Ipsos poll published Monday put Trump’s approval at 31%, a record low for the president.

Trump is deep into a 32-day campaign blitz, often appearing in friendly territory he won in previous elections. One Republican familiar with his midterm strategy said his attention to rural parts of the country reflects internal polling showing soft support among men aged 55 and younger in rural areas, a bloc central to his 2024 win.

In Park City, near Wichita, rallygoers walked more than a mile across Interstate 135 to reach the rural arena, passing a truck stop flashing $3.98 for gas and $5.78 for diesel. That is up about 45 percent per gallon compared with average gas prices in the state last year, according to travel analyst AAA, and economic unease was plain even among 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.

A small group of protesters gathered near the arena, including James Nightingale, a self-described independent from Halstead, Kansas. “I’m a farmer from Kansas and the Trump administration has decimated the farm economy in my area,” Nightingale said. “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’?”

Kansans have shown a willingness to cross party lines, electing Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to two terms. “I don’t think it’s ever easy to get elected here,” said Gina Seman, a Trump voter from Towanda, Kansas, noting that Republican candidates in the past have taken their popularity for granted.

Reporting based on coverage by Reuters.