French Parliament member Raphaël Glucksmann has demanded the United States return the iconic Statue of Liberty to France. This provocative call stems from Glucksmann’s belief that America has betrayed the core values the statue represents. Is America living up to the ideals symbolized by the Statue of Liberty?
French Politician Demands Return of Lady Liberty
French Parliament member Raphaël Glucksmann has sparked international attention by demanding the return of the Statue of Liberty from the United States. During a convention of his political party, Place Publique, he made the unexpected request based on his belief that America no longer upholds the values the statue represents.
“We’re going to say to the Americans who have chosen to side with the tyrants, to the Americans who fired researchers for demanding scientific freedom: ‘Give us back the Statue of Liberty,'” Glucksmann declared. His provocative statement continued with, “We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home.”
🚨Politicians in France are asking for the Statue of Liberty BACK.
Karoline Leavitt chose VIOLENCE:
"I would like to remind France that it's only because of the USA that the French are not speaking German right now. So they should be very grateful to our great country”
WOW. pic.twitter.com/PuG864VYj1
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 17, 2025
Political Motivations Behind the Demand
Glucksmann, a supporter of the Ukraine war effort, has specifically criticized President Trump for reducing American support for Ukraine. His comments appear to be driven by concerns about shifting U.S. foreign policy priorities and what he perceives as America’s retreat from its traditional role as a defender of global freedom.
The French politician also aimed cuts to funding for American colleges and research institutions. He suggested that if the United States continues to dismiss its researchers, France would welcome them, stating, “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.”
I must have missed the part where the Statue of Liberty says "Give me your rapists, child sex traffickers, gang bangers…and make the people living there pay for it all."
The French have balls criticizing us, when their entire country has gone to hell because of mass migration. pic.twitter.com/3kFdRJZ5dj
— Mindy MF Robinson 🇺🇸 (@iheartmindy) March 17, 2025
The Statue’s Historical Significance
The Statue of Liberty stands as one of the most recognizable symbols of freedom worldwide, having been gifted to the United States by France and unveiled in 1886. Designed by French sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, the statue was intended to commemorate the centennial of American independence and symbolize the friendship between the two nations.
A smaller replica of Lady Liberty, given by the United States to France in 1889, is located on Allée des Cygnes in Paris. The exchange of these monuments represented a strong alliance and shared values between America and France, making Glucksmann’s demand particularly symbolic of perceived strains in that historical relationship.