A French Member of Parliament has called for the return of the Statue of Liberty from the United States, arguing that the values it represents are no longer upheld by the Trump administration.
According to a report by La Monde, French MP Raphaël Glucksmann stated that the statue, originally gifted to the U.S. by France, symbolized liberty and democracy—principles that he believes the current American administration no longer respects.
During a public gathering on Sunday, Glucksmann said, “Give us back our Statue of Liberty. Those who side with oppressors and dismiss researchers fighting for scientific freedom should not hold onto this symbol.”
The Statue of Liberty was gifted to the U.S. by France in 1885, designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and inaugurated in 1886 by President Grover Cleveland. In 1924, it was declared a National Monument by the U.S. government.
Glucksmann has been a vocal critic of Trump’s policies, particularly regarding the Ukraine war and funding cuts to various American institutions. He has also urged the French government to facilitate opportunities for American researchers to work in France.