France has requested that U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner no longer have direct access to members of the French government after he skipped a meeting to discuss comments made by the Trump administration regarding the death of a far-right activist.
Kushner Access Restricted
French authorities summoned Kushner, the father of U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, to the Quai d’Orsay, home of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, on Monday evening, but he did not attend, according to diplomatic sources.
Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot moved to restrict Kushner’s access “in light of this apparent misunderstanding of the basic expectations of the mission of an ambassador, who has the honor of representing his country.” The ministry indicated a willingness to reconcile the situation.
“It remains, of course, possible for Ambassador Charles Kushner to carry out his duties and present himself at the Quai d’Orsay, so that we may hold the diplomatic discussions needed to smooth over the irritants that can inevitably arise in a friendship spanning 250 years,” the ministry said.
State Department Statement
Kushner had been summoned following a statement from the State Department’s Counterterrorism Bureau, posted on X, stating that “reports, corroborated by the French Minister of the Interior, that Quentin Deranque was killed by left-wing militants, should concern us all.” The U.S. Embassy also posted the statement on social media.
Deranque, a far-right activist, died this month from brain injuries sustained in a beating in Lyon, France. He was attacked during a confrontation on the sidelines of a student meeting featuring a far-left lawmaker.
His death has highlighted political tensions ahead of next year’s presidential vote. “We reject any instrumentalization of this tragedy, which has plunged a French family into mourning, for political ends,” Barrot said over the weekend. “We have no lessons to learn, particularly on the issue of violence, from the international reactionary movement.”
The State Department stated that “violent radical leftism is on the rise and its role in Quentin Deranque’s death demonstrates the threat it poses to public safety. We will continue to monitor the situation and expect to see the perpetrators of violence brought to justice.”
Kushner was previously summoned in August regarding a letter sent to French President Emmanuel Macron alleging the country did not adequately address antisemitism. French foreign officials met with a representative of the U.S. ambassador when Kushner did not appear for that meeting.
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