France temporarily barred U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner from meeting with French government officials this week after he failed to appear when summoned to explain controversial comments made by the Trump administration about French domestic politics. The diplomatic tensions arose following a State Department statement about the death of a French far-right activist that Paris viewed as interference in its internal affairs.
The standoff was resolved Tuesday when Kushner called French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and was told that France would not accept any form of interference or manipulation of its national public debate, according to a French Foreign Ministry official. Barrot had earlier told broadcaster France Info that until explanations took place, the American ambassador in France would not regain access to French government members.
U.S. Ambassador Summoned Over Political Comments
The controversy began when the State Department’s Counterterrorism Bureau expressed concern that violent radical leftism was on the rise after the killing of Quentin Deranque, a 23-year-old far-right activist. Deranque died from brain injuries last month after being beaten during political violence on the margins of a student meeting in Lyon.
The State Department posted to X that the killing by left-wing militants should concern everyone and that violent radical leftism posed a threat to public safety. The U.S. Embassy in Paris reposted that statement on its own social media channels.
France Objects to Diplomatic Interference
French officials viewed the American comments as an unacceptable intrusion into France’s domestic political debate. A French diplomatic official told NBC News that Kushner had been summoned to the French Foreign Ministry but did not show up.
According to a senior ministry official, the comments concerned a tragedy that occurred in France and involved only the nation’s public debate, which France refused to allow to be exploited. Seven people have been handed preliminary charges in connection with Deranque’s death, including an aide to a lawmaker for the leftist France Unbowed party.
Growing Pattern of Diplomatic Tensions in Europe
The incident represents part of a broader pattern of clashes between U.S. ambassadors and European allies under the Trump administration. Trump officials have openly criticized their European partners on issues ranging from defense spending and immigration to allegations that governments are too liberal.
John Koenig, who served as American ambassador to Cyprus under President Barack Obama, described Trump’s ambassadors in Europe as emulating their boss’s intensely personalized, norm-busting, and provocative behavior. This approach has become much worse compared to Trump’s first administration, according to Koenig.
Previous Diplomatic Incidents Involving Kushner
This is not the first time Kushner, father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, has been summoned by French authorities. Last August, he was called in after accusing President Emmanuel Macron of failing to combat antisemitism, which Macron called an unacceptable statement for someone supposed to be a diplomat.
Additionally, in neighboring Belgium, U.S. Ambassador Bill White was summoned last week after accusing his hosts of the unacceptable harassment of the Jewish community. Belgian officials strongly denied this characterization and called the personal attacks a violation of basic diplomatic norms.
Similar Controversies Across European Capitals
Meanwhile, Tom Rose, Washington’s diplomat in Poland, said the U.S. would cut ties with a parliamentary speaker who stated that Trump did not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk responded that allies should respect, not lecture, each other.
In Iceland, Trump’s nominee for ambassador, Billy Long, apologized after his joke that Iceland could become the 51st state caused widespread anger. A petition to reject Long’s appointment was signed by almost 5,500 people.
Beyond Europe, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has drawn outcry from much of the Middle East after suggesting Israel has a biblical right to take over large swaths of the region. However, such tensions have become increasingly commonplace as U.S. diplomatic relations with traditional allies strain under unconventional approaches.
Following Tuesday’s phone call between Kushner and Barrot, French officials indicated the ambassador had expressed his desire not to interfere in France’s public debate and could resume normal diplomatic functions. The Foreign Ministry noted that the incident does not affect the broader relationship between France and the United States, though authorities have not confirmed when full diplomatic access will be restored.
