The Trump administration fired back on Monday after a French politician suggested that the United States should return the Statue of Liberty to France, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivering a scathing response.

“Absolutely not,” Leavitt said during a press briefing. “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. They should be grateful.”

Leavitt’s remarks were a clear reference to America’s role in liberating France from Nazi Germany during World War II—a pointed reminder of the historical debt that France owes the U.S. “The United States has been a beacon of freedom for the world, and we will not entertain such nonsense,” she added.

The White House’s comments came in response to Raphaël Glucksmann, a French member of the European Parliament, who, during a political convention over the weekend, launched a dramatic call for the return of Lady Liberty.

“America has chosen to side with the tyrants,” Glucksmann declared, attacking Trump’s hardline stance on scientific research, funding cuts, and the dismissal of public health officials. He accused the U.S. of betraying the ideals of liberty and progress that the statue represents, arguing that if America no longer upholds those values, France should take it back.

Glucksmann went further, mocking America’s recent policies on research and innovation, suggesting that if Washington no longer wants to support scientific freedom, France would gladly absorb its top researchers and institutions.

The Statue of Liberty, gifted to the U.S. by France in 1886, was meant to celebrate the shared values of democracy, independence, and the abolition of slavery. But Glucksmann’s remarks signal a growing frustration among European leaders who believe Trump’s policies undermine those principles.

Despite the rhetorical fireworks, France has no legal right to reclaim the statue—it is U.S. government property, and any attempt to do so would trigger a major diplomatic crisis. The controversy also comes at a sensitive time for French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been working to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine—a diplomatic effort that could be jeopardized by escalating tensions with Washington.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)