Blitz Bureau
WASHINGTON: The United States has firmly rejected a suggestion by French politician Raphael Glucksmann that the ‘Statue of Liberty’ should be returned to France, dismissing his remarks as unwarranted and politically motivated, reported IANS.
Glucksmann, a Centre-Left politician, recently stated that France should take back the iconic statue, arguing 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. “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,'” Glucksmann said. “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. “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.