To the Americans who have taken a stand for tyrants, to the Americans who dismiss researchers for demanding scientific freedom, we say: Give us back the Statue of Liberty, says Glucksmann to jubilation at a congress for the party Place Publique.
The outburst is a marking against the new US President Donald Trump, whose research policy and stance on the Ukraine war Glucksmann is openly critical of.
During his first weeks in the White House, Trump has emphasized that he wants to "take over" territories such as Greenland, Gaza, and the Panama Canal – in violation of international law.
Now Glucksmann wants to do the same with the statue, which was given as a gift to the American people from the French nearly 140 years ago.
It will do well here at home, claims the Frenchman and also welcomes researchers and others who have been dismissed due to Trump's new anti-diversity rules to France.
The White House responds that the French should instead be grateful for the US's efforts during World War II.
My advice to the unnamed low-level French politician would be to remind them that it is only thanks to the United States that the French are not speaking German right now, so they should be very grateful towards our great country, says the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
The 93-meter-high green goddess was created by Auguste Bartholdi and unveiled in 1886.
