12 hours ago
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March 17, 2025 | 08:15 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Raphaël Glucksmann, a left-wing French politician, has strongly criticized the United States (U.S.), calling for the return of the Statue of Liberty—an iconic gift from France to the U.S. in the 19th century.
He argued that since Donald Trump’s return to the presidency, America has strayed from its path and no longer embodies the values represented by the statue.
This controversial statement was made on Sunday during his party's convention, Place Publique, and was reported by the French newspaper Le Monde as cited by The New York Post.
“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 in front of his supporters who welcomed it with cheers.
"We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home," he added as the crowd erupted in cheers.
Glucksmann's criticism is mainly directed at the policies of President Donald Trump, which according to him, have betrayed the values of freedom symbolized by the Statue of Liberty.
In particular, he condemned Trump's efforts to reduce America's support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, as well as policies that cut funding for higher education and research institutions.
This French politician also offered to welcome American researchers who may lose their jobs due to these policies.
"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.
Glucksmann criticized right-wing members of France’s parliament, referring to them as a "fan club" for both Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, who has assumed a prominent role in the administration.
The Statue of Liberty, designed by French sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, was given to the United States as a gift from the people of France and was unveiled in 1886 by President Grover Cleveland. For more than a century, the statue has been an enduring symbol of freedom and hope for the United States and the world.
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