White House slams French MEP’s call to return Statue of Liberty

French politician Raphaël Glucksmann has been making headlines for suggesting that the US should return the Statue of Liberty, as the country under Trump is, in his opinion, no longer worthy of the monument and the values it embodies. 

Glucksmann, a member of the European Parliament, asserted in a speech that some Americans “have chosen to switch to the side of the tyrants.” 

“Give us back the Statue of Liberty,” Glucksmann said, speaking Sunday to supporters of his Public Place party, who applauded. “We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home.” 

With his comments in response to Trump’s immigration policies going viral, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt retaliated on Monday by saying that Donald Trump would “absolutely not” return the statue gifted by France to the US nearly 140 years ago. 

She went on to label Glacksmann as “low-level” and made a reference to 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,” Leavitt said.  

“So they should be very grateful to our great country.”

Glucksmann was also critical of the Trump administration’s decision to fire government employees as part of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cost-cutting efforts. 

“The second thing we’re going to say to the Americans is: ‘If you want to fire your best researchers, if you want to fire all the people who, through their freedom and their sense of innovation, their taste for doubt and research, have made your country the world’s leading power, then we’re going to welcome them’,” Glucksmann said.