US President Donald Trump, who angered the French government earlier this month with his comments about the 2015 attacks in Paris, tweeted Sunday that he was “so sad” about the latest attack there.
“At some point countries will have to open their eyes & see what is really going on,” he wrote. “This kind of sickness & hatred is not compatible with a loving, peaceful, & successful country! Changes to our thought process on terror must be made.”
It was not clear exactly what he meant in the tweet, though his administration has sought to implement travel bans on people from several Muslim-majority nations, and Trump has frequently linked Muslim migrants with terrorism.
Saturday’s knife attack in Paris, in which one person was killed, was carried out by a naturalized French citizen born in the Russian republic of Chechnya. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.
The French Foreign Ministry rebuked Trump this month for claiming that if the 130 victims of the November 2015 attacks in Paris had been armed the outcome could have been different.
The White House also released a statement late Sunday condemning Saturday’s attack, and expressing “solidarity with the French people and their government.”
“Acts like this only strengthen the resolve of the global coalition to defeat ISIS and drive it out of existence,” it said.
The White House also said Trump had spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday to discuss Iran and trade. There was no mention of the attack and it was not clear if the phone call had been held before it took place. (dpa/NAN)
