White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a strong response Monday after a French politician suggested that the U.S. ought to return the Statue of Liberty.
Raphaël Glucksmann, a member of the European Parliament and co-president of the left-wing Public Place party, claimed that America no longer represents the values the statue was meant to symbolize.
“It was our gift to you. But apparently, you despise it,” he said during a speech to supporters on Sunday, according to Newsweek.
“So it will be happy here with us.”
Glucksmann’s remarks quickly drew backlash from conservatives and a sharp response from the White House. During a press briefing on Monday, Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt whether President Donald Trump would consider returning the statue.
“There is now a member of the European Parliament from France who does not think the U.S. represents the values of the Statue of Liberty anymore,” Doocy said. “They want the Statue of Liberty back.”
“So, is President Trump going to send the Statue of Liberty back to France?”
Leavitt dismissed the suggestion outright.
“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,” she said.
Conservatives on X also blasted Glucksmann’s comments. Many rejected the idea of returning the Statue of Liberty and pointed to France’s own immigration challenges.
“I must have missed the part where the Statue of Liberty says ‘Give me your rapists, child s*x traffickers, gang bangers…and make the people living there pay for it all,’” wrote conservative commentator Mindy Robinson.
“France should probably take care of their illegals before they start criticizing us,” added conservative influencer Paul A. Szypula.
Others noted that Glucksmann’s comments ignored France’s own struggles with free speech and government overreach, citing the country’s history of controversial policies, including crackdowns on religious expression and ongoing political unrest.
The Statue of Liberty, one of the most recognizable symbols of freedom, was a gift from France to the U.S. in the 19th century. The statue was first proposed in 1865 to commemorate the centennial of the Declaration of Independence and the long-standing friendship between the two nations, according to KTNV.
France funded the statue itself, while the U.S. raised money for its pedestal. After being shipped in 350 pieces across the Atlantic, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor in 1885 and was officially dedicated by President Grover Cleveland in 1886, where it has remained in the U.S. ever since.
Beyond questioning America’s commitment to liberty, Glucksmann also criticized the Trump administration’s domestic policies, particularly its efforts to reduce the federal workforce. He took aim at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which, under Trump and Elon Musk’s leadership, has cut funding for scientists, researchers and public health experts.
“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, according to Newsweek.
While his remarks played well with left-wing audiences in France, critics argue they reflect a broader European frustration with Trump’s policies, particularly his focus on reducing government bureaucracy and shifting U.S. priorities toward economic nationalism.
