France would be ‘speaking German’ without US: White House slams French politician over Statue of Liberty demand

The White House on Monday (March 17) dismissed a suggestion from a French member of the European Parliament to return the Statue of Liberty, saying that France would be "speaking German" without American intervention during World War II.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to the French MEP's comments on Monday, stating, "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."

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'Give us back the Statue of Liberty'

The comments were made in response to French MEP Raphael Glucksmann, a member of the Socialists and Democrats group, who argued that the United States no longer deserves the statue. He suggested it should be returned because America had, in his view, aligned itself with tyrants.

Speaking at a party convention, Glucksmann said, "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'."

He continued, "We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home."

Glucksmann also suggested that France could benefit if American professionals dismissed under the Trump administration decided to relocate.

"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 said.

His comments come after the US temporarily halted aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Although aid to Kyiv has since resumed, President Donald Trump’s approach to Russia, his well-documented admiration for Vladimir Putin, as well as his attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, have caused the whole of Europe to be alarmed and rethink its dependence on the United States.

(With inputs from agencies)