French politician calls for return of Statue of Liberty, criticizes Trump administration

French Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Raphaël Glucksmann has suggested that France should take back the Statue of Liberty from the United States, arguing that Americans “despise it.” His remarks came during a political rally in Paris, where he also criticized the Trump administration and the rise of the ‘far-right’.

“We’re going to say to the Americans who have chosen to side with tyrants, to the Americans who fired researchers for demonstrating scientific freedom, ‘Give us back the Statue of Liberty. We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home,'” Glucksmann told supporters.

“The second thing we’re going to say to the Americans is ‘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,'” he added.

Glucksmann further called for a united political front in France to counter what he described as “the Trump and Musk fan club,” and the rise of far-right politician figures and parties in France and Europe.

He also criticized the recent confrontation between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, calling it an “ambush.”

“The Trump administration is fully embracing Putin’s strategic and ideological approach. The ambush in the Oval Office was a clear example,” Glucksmann said in an interview with La Tribune Dimanche. “The fake news spread by Moscow has now become an official part of the American administration’s communications strategy.”

He added, “The Oval Office scandal is not just an accident—it’s something we will see happening for the next four years.”

Raphaël Glucksmann co-founded the left-wing political movement Place Publique in 2018, which later allied with the Socialist Party. The party advocates for progressive policies on climate change, social justice, and European integration and has been critical of far-right movements in both France and abroad.