Americans may soon find themselves without one of their most iconic landmarks after a French politician called for the return of the Statue of Liberty, citing recent actions by U.S. President Donald Trump as justification.
While Mount Rushmore, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Hollywood Sign are instantly recognizable American symbols, few represent the nation quite like the Statue of Liberty, which has stood on Liberty Island since 1884 as a gift from France, commemorating the friendship between the two nations.
However, according to the Daily Mail, French MEP Raphaël Glucksmann believes that bond has been broken. Speaking at a Place Publique party conference, Glucksmann declared that the U.S. should return the Statue of Liberty over 140 years after its original donation.
“We’re going to say to the Americans who have chosen to side with tyrants, who fired researchers for demanding scientific freedom: ‘Give us back the Statue of Liberty.’ We gifted it to you, but you clearly despise what it stands for. So, it will be just fine here at home,” he stated.
Glucksmann’s comments stem from recent political moves by the Trump administration, including its stance on Ukraine and the controversial work of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has aggressively slashed research funding.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance have been openly hostile toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and many interpret Glucksmann’s reference to “siding with tyrants” as a critique of Trump’s growing alignment with Russia. Additionally, Musk’s push for the U.S. to withdraw from NATO, which would end America’s military support for Europe, has deeply unsettled France.
Glucksmann also criticized Musk’s alleged election interference, his support for Germany’s far-right AfD party, and his public spats with the UK government, which even included thinly veiled threats of an invasion.
Despite Glucksmann’s demands, the U.S. has firmly rejected any notion of returning Lady Liberty. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt offered a blunt response to the proposal, as reported by the New York Post:
“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 aren’t speaking German right now.”
Leavitt’s remark, a nod to the U.S.’s role in liberating France during World War II, suggests that America has no intention of entertaining the request.
Who would have thought that a tongue-in-cheek remark about the Statue of Liberty could spiral into international tensions and historical jabs from the White House? Good thing France didn’t keep the receipt.
