French Politician Tells US To Give Back to France the Statue of Liberty
A French politician requested that the US send back to France the Statue of Liberty in light of the country’s approach to the Russo-Ukrainian conflict and alleged friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Raphaël Glucksmann, who is a member of the European Parliament, made remarks about the US’s current direction in foreign policy, which he finds unacceptable. According to Euro News, Glucksmann alleged at a rally:
“We’re going to say to the Americans who have chosen to side with the tyrants, to the Americans who fired researchers for demanding scientific freedom: ‘Give us back the Statue of Liberty.’ We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home.”
During a press conference, White House Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to Glucksmann with a reference to the US’s role in World War II:
“My advice to that unnamed low-level French politician would be to remind them that it’s only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now, so they should be very grateful to our great country.”
Glucksmann was quick to respond to Leavitt in a multi-post thread on X, extolling American virtues he believes have vanished:
He then stated that his “take back the Statue of Liberty” comment was symbolic:
Glucksmann also posted that France loves and owes much to America. Yet the US has fallen, according to the politician, but “it will rise again.”
One of his last posts in the thread stated that Europe can take up the role of representing the free world instead of the US:
Designed by sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, and built by Gustave Eiffel, the Statue of Liberty was a gift to the US from France to commemorate the 100th anniversary of US Independence.
