French lawmaker asks U.S. to return Statue of Liberty

(CNN, KYMA/KECY) - She's welcomed people to the U.S. and served as a beacon of democracy for nearly 150 years. Now, one French lawmaker is saying, "Give her back!"

European Parliament member Raphaël Glucksmann is referring to the Statue of Liberty.

Speaking to members of his party at a convention, he said, "We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently you despise it."

Glucksmann alluded to mass government layoffs in the U.S., but President Donald Trump's tariff orders may have also swayed his opinion.

The statue was a gift from France to the U.S. after the Civil War.

The UNESCO World Heritage Convention says the U.S. federal government is the symbol's rightful owner.

There were questions about the dust-up at Monday's White House press briefing. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said "absolutely not" to the possibility of returning the statue.

The State Department recognizes France as the U.S.' oldest treaty ally, a friendship that dates back to the Revolutionary War.