A French politician has angered the Make America Great Again community by suggesting that the US return the Statue of Liberty to France, claiming that Washington has “chosen to side with the tyrants.”
Raphaël Glucksmann, a center-left member of the European Parliament, spoke at his Place Publique party convention on March 16th, telling supporters that the US no longer respects 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 said, while the audience cheered.
“We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home,” he said.
The Statue of Liberty, a symbol of freedom and democracy, was gifted to the US by France – its oldest ally – in 1886. Hundreds of replicas exist worldwide, with notable ones in Paris and Tokyo.
Glucksmann is a strong supporter of Ukraine and has criticized President Donald Trump’s shift in the US policy on the war with Russia, as well as his perceived softness toward Russian leader Vladimir Putin and other dictators.
While the politician’s remarks about returning the Statue of Liberty to France appeared tongue-in-cheek, they have evoked strong reactions among American right-wing communities online.
“Come and take it, baguette boy,” challenged a post by Pax Americana, an X account for “true patriots.”
Come and take it, baguette boy https://t.co/23WecF6NvX pic.twitter.com/18o33RAhd2
undefined Pax Americana (@1776pax) March 16, 2025
Shipwreck, a conservative commentator with a large social media following, rebuked Glucksmann’s idea, responding with “le no” and “you can’t have it back, she ours.”
“I thought the Statue of Liberty stood for freedom and prosperity. If there’s any person out there that stands for those things on the side of the American people, it’s Donald Trump,” she said.
“Have you been paying attention or are we sending some propaganda over there that’s leading you to believe that things that are not true are true,” Shipwreck said, adding, “I often wonder what other countries are seeing in terms of what’s actually happening in the US.”
The French want the Statue of Liberty back..
undefined Shipwreck (@shipwreckshow) March 17, 2025
Le No. pic.twitter.com/rtUm05hqdm
There has been a significant shift in how Europeans view the US following the Trump administration’s threats to annex Greenland – an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark – its support for far-right movements in Europe, and its increasing alignment with Russia, among other concerns.
Only around a third of people in Germany, France, and the UK now have a favorable view of the US, according to YouGov. Attitudes in Denmark in particular have grown more negative, with only 20% of people there viewing the US positively.
Even in Poland, one of the closest US partners in Europe, more people see Washington as a “necessary partner” rather than a friend with shared interests and values, another survey showed.
Some American commentators shared this sentiment in response to the French legislator’s proposal. Former baseball player and MAGA supporter John Rocker posted what seems to be an AI-generated image depicting a woman wearing a hijab, a traditional Muslim head covering.
“Instead of returning [the Statue of Liberty], I suggest we manufacture and ship them a statue that represents the values of the modern-day French Government,” Rocker said.
France wants the United States to return the Statue of Liberty.
undefined JohnRocker (@itsJohnRocker) March 17, 2025
Instead of returning it, I suggest we manufacture and ship them a statue that represents the values of the modern day French Government. pic.twitter.com/XhV39txpQH
Trump said in the past that the European capitals of Paris and London were “no longer recognizable" after “Europe opened their doors to jihad,” likely in criticism of immigration from Muslim countries. The leaders of those cities dismissed the comments as ill-informed.
The plaque on the base of the Statue of Liberty bears an inscription, saying “Give me your tired, your poor. Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Meanwhile, the Trump administration pursues the policy of mass deportations of people allegedly in the US without documentation.
Trump’s policies are also driving some Americans to consider alternatives abroad. In his address to supporters, Glucksmann urged France to welcome American researchers who lost their jobs due to ongoing cost-cutting measures in the US.
Aix-Marseille University in southern France has already announced a program called Safe Place for Science, with plans to fund around 15 academics in the US, according to a report by Le Monde.
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