Breaking
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a potential 2028 presidential contender, is facing a wave of criticism after he pointed to the violent riots sweeping France as a lesson for America about wealth inequality rather than a warning about lawlessness. In a post on X on Sunday evening, Khanna wrote, “This is what happens when the nations let wealth and power accumulate in the hands of a few.”
The California Democrat went further, framing the unrest as a message Washington should heed. “This is what happens when young people lose hope in their future. In America, let us listen to our young. We need an economic and political transformation. America’s Next New Deal,” he wrote. Critics from both the right and the left accused him of lending political legitimacy to mobs that had looted stores, set fires and clashed with police across France just one day earlier.
Details & Background
The French unrest began with planned nationwide demonstrations over the cost of living and the state of public services that spiraled into violence on Saturday, October 17. French authorities said that by Sunday evening they had arrested nearly 2,400 people nationwide, including 855 in the Paris region. According to France’s Interior Ministry, nearly 1,000 police officers and gendarmes were injured, seven of them seriously, and one protester died after suffering cardiac arrest during demonstrations in Paris. Shops were looted in Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, Lyon and other cities, and authorities said a deliberately set fire caused significant damage to the historic city hall in Limoges.
Authorities estimated that more than 550,000 people took part in demonstrations across France, while organizers put the figure closer to 800,000. Khanna widened his argument beyond France, writing, “From the high schools of France to the streets of Madrid to the universities of Tirana, young people are telling their governments the same thing: in an age of massive wealth inequality, they want a future they can believe in.” The comments landed as the French riots have become a central talking point in America’s midterm campaign, with President Donald Trump telling a Kansas rally Monday night that voters should look at France to see what is at stake on November 3.
Reactions
The backlash came quickly and from unexpected corners. Shannon Watts, a Democratic gun-control activist, wrote, “If you’re a member of Congress who condemned the January 6 insurrection, you don’t get to excuse riots in France as a ‘cry for help.’ Political violence doesn’t become acceptable just because you sympathize with people committing it.” Legal analyst Jonathan Turley accused Khanna of political opportunism. “Ro Khanna has long sought to ride the rage wave to power,” Turley wrote, adding, “Khanna could indeed learn much from France. This is history repeating itself. That history, by the way, does not bode well for establishment figures who pander to the mob.” Spencer Pratt, a former Los Angeles mayoral candidate, was even sharper: “These commies lie as easily as they breathe.”
As criticism mounted, Khanna posted a clarification. “I unequivocally condemn violence and vandalism. I have always championed my grandfather’s example of non-violent protest,” he wrote, before adding, “Let us not be blind to the anger young people have against the unholy alliance of wealth and power. The billionaires buying politicians. The corruption.” Former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., pushed back on Khanna’s reading of events, writing, “These are not mere students… my friend, I regret to inform you, this is an invasion,” a reference to France’s high intake of migrants in recent years. Khanna doubled down in reply: “George, is the lesson not to tackle the vast disparity here and young people’s hopelessness?” Khanna’s office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Why This Matters to You
When a rising national figure looks at burning city halls, looted storefronts and nearly 1,000 injured police officers and sees an economic argument first, it tells voters how he weighs public order against political messaging. Khanna is widely viewed as a possible 2028 presidential candidate, and his response offers an early look at how a segment of the Democratic Party may approach unrest at home, from protests over immigration enforcement to future clashes in American cities.
The debate over France is quickly becoming a debate about America’s own future. Conservatives argue that the violence shows what happens when governments lose control of their borders and fail to back law enforcement, while progressives like Khanna argue it is a symptom of inequality. With the midterm elections two weeks away and the State Department warning that France could face even worse destruction from another weekend of planned riots, the question of whether leaders will stand clearly with order, police and public safety is no longer an abstract one for American voters.
