WH rejects French politician call to return Statue of Liberty, calls a ‘low-level’

By Anjali Sharma

WASHINGTON – US on Tuesday has firmly rejected a suggestion by French politician Raphael Glucksmann that the Statue of Liberty should be returned to France, dismissed his remarks as unwarranted and politically motivated.

Glucksmann, a centre-left politician stated that France should take back the iconic statue, argued that the US no longer upholds the values that inspired France to gift the monument.

His remarks were seen as a direct criticism of US President Donald Trump’s policies, particularly regarding scientific freedom and international relations.

Glucksmann said “Give us back the Statue of Liberty… We’re going to tell the Americans, who have chosen to side with the tyrants and 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.”

The statement sparked a sharp response from the White House. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the demand outright, ridiculing Glucksmann’s political stature.

Karoline Leavitt said “Absolutely not. And 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,”.

The Statue of Liberty was presented in New York Harbor on October 28, 1886, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence.

It was created by French artist Auguste Bartholdi, it was a present from the people of France to the United States, represented the common values of freedom and democracy.

Paris does have a smaller replica of the statue on an island in the Seine, Glucksmann’s remarks were largely seen as a symbolic political statement rather than a genuine demand for its return.

A vocal critic of Trump, Glucksmann has strongly opposed the US President’s shift in foreign policy, particularly regarding the war in Ukraine.

He has also condemned far-right leaders in France, accused them of being “a fan club” for Trump and billionaire Elon Musk.