The Conservative Party of New York State has issued an open letter responding to French politician Raphaël Glucksmann’s rhetorical suggestion that the United States should return the Statue of Liberty to France. Glucksmann’s comments, made on Sunday, criticized recent U.S. policies under President Donald Trump, arguing they no longer reflect the statue’s values.
In the letter, state Conservative Party Chair Gerard Kassar dismissed Glucksmann’s statement, invoking France’s World War II history. Kassar wrote: “I understand you want us to return the Statue of Liberty. We considered that during your World War II Vichy-jackboot days, but elected to hang onto this great symbol of American freedom nonetheless.” He concluded, “Get hold of yourself, sir.”
Glucksmann, a member of the European Parliament from France, made his remarks on Sunday during a convention of his Place Publique party. “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 was quoted as saying by France24. “We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home.”
The White House has also responded to Glucksmann’s remarks, swiftly rejecting the suggestion. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Monday that France should be grateful for America’s role in World War II, implying that without U.S. intervention, France might have remained under German rule.
Following Leavitt’s response, Glucksmann later clarified on X that his remarks were symbolic and not a literal demand for the statue’s return. “No one, of course, will come and steal the Statue of Liberty. The statue is yours. But what it embodies belongs to everyone,” he stated. “And if the free world no longer interests your government, then we will take up the torch, here in Europe.”
Leavitt is not wrong. Without the US, France – as well as the rest of western and northern Europe (including Britain) – would either be speaking German or Russian. And while the latter might sound like an improvement today – heck, in the case of France, the former would also be an improvement – Russia would not have had the opportunity to emerge from the ashes of the RSFSR without the US either. As bad as the US has become, it is still always one step behind most of its NATO partners in the EU.
The French don’t really want the Statute of Liberty back, because in their eyes it is defective, because it only has one hand raised for the torch of freedom and not two for surrender.
/s