Riots broke out across France over the weekend of October 17-18, 2026, with cars and buildings set on fire amid anger over fuel and living costs. French officials say a left-wing movement is behind the protests, unconnected to immigration or Islam, and Macron tied the anger to a conflict that began in the Persian Gulf. The discussion has widened to energy, with Trump announcing an energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. Vance and Cruz have posted that a Democratic win would bring French-style riots to the U.S., and Trump posted a video contrasting France decades ago with France now.