White House says US is why French don't speak German: Is it true?

White House rebuffs French Parliamentarian's call to reclaim the Statue of Liberty, asserting that US intervention in WWII saved France from Nazi rule

The White House has dismissed a French politician’s call to take back the Statue of Liberty, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt asserting that France should be "grateful" to the United States that they don't speak German.

 

“It is only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now,” Leavitt said on Monday in response to remarks made by Raphael Glucksmann, a French Member of the European Parliament (MEP).

 

Leavitt’s claim rests on the US' role in World War II, particularly the liberation of France from Nazi Germany. Here's all you need to know about it.

 

 

Did the US save France?

Through her brief statement, Leavitt framed the US as France’s historical saviour. However, her remarks oversimplify history, as France’s liberation was the result of multiple Allied efforts, including the French Resistance, British forces, Soviet advances in the east, and Free French troops led by Charles de Gaulle.

 

In May-June 1940, Nazi Germany invaded France, quickly bypassing its defences. The French government surrendered, and a collaborationist regime—the Vichy government—was established under Marshal Philippe Petain.

 

France was divided into Occupied France (controlled by Nazi Germany) and Vichy France (a German-aligned puppet state).

 

Though initially neutral, the US provided weapons, supplies, and financial aid to Britain and the Free French Forces through the Lend-Lease programme (1941). American involvement increased after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7, 1941 and Germany’s declaration of war on the US.

 

Liberation of France

The real turning point in France’s liberation came with Operation Overlord (D-Day) on June 6, 1944. Over 156,000 Allied troops—mainly from the US, the UK, and Canada—landed on the Normandy beaches.

 

American forces led major assaults at Omaha and Utah beaches, while British and Canadian troops attacked other positions. The battle was brutal, with thousands of Allied casualties, but the invasion successfully broke through Nazi defenses.

 

By August 25, 1944, Paris was liberated, aided by the French Resistance and Free French troops.

 

While the US troops were crucial in liberating France, French fighters played a major role in the effort. The French Resistance carried out sabotage missions and intelligence operations to weaken the Nazis before and after D-Day. Charles de Gaulle’s Free French Army fought alongside the Allies and helped secure French cities as the Germans retreated.

 

The Western Allies (US, UK, France) and the Soviet Union continued pushing German forces back. On May 8, 1945, Germany surrendered, officially ending the war in Europe.

 

Statue of Liberty: A French connection

On March 16, French Parliamentarian Raphael Glucksmann said the US no longer represents the values that led France to offer the statue more than a century ago. “Give us back the Statue of Liberty,” he said, arguing that the US had “chosen to side with the tyrants” after President Donald Trump’s shift in policy on Ukraine.

 

Notably, the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the US. It symbolised the alliance formed during the American Revolution and served as a tribute to the US' commitment to freedom.

 

The 305-foot-tall statue was officially unveiled in New York Harbour on October 28, 1886, marking the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. Designed by French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, it was meant to symbolise liberty, democracy, and the enduring Franco-American friendship.