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France moves to bar US Ambassador Charles Kushner from direct government access
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The Associated Press
FILE - U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner gives a news conference marking the 250th birthday of the U.S. in 2026, in Paris, Dec. 4, 2025.
− Christophe Ena/AP hide caption
PARIS — France's top diplomat Monday requested that U.S.
+ Christophe Ena/AP hide caption
PARIS — France's spat with the U.S.
− Ambassador Charles Kushner no longer be allowed direct access to members of the French government after he skipped a meeting to discuss comments by the Trump administration over the beating death of a far-right activist.
+ ambassador to Paris took another turn Tuesday with the French foreign minister saying the top U.S. diplomat in France must respond to a summons and won't have access to French government officials until he complies.
− French authorities had summoned Kushner, the father of U.S.
+ French authorities had summoned Ambassador Charles Kushner — the father of U.S.
− President Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, to the Quai d'Orsay, which houses the Foreign Affairs Ministry, on Monday evening but he did not show up, according to diplomatic sources.
+ President Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner — for a meeting on Monday evening over comments from the Trump administration that France objected to. French diplomats said Kushner did not show up.
− Jean-Noel Barrot, the foreign affairs minister, 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, however, left the door open for reconciliation.
+ Speaking Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described the failure to attend the meeting as "a surprise" that flew in the face of diplomatic protocol and will dent Charles Kushner's ability to serve as an ambassador.
− "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," it said.
+ "It will, naturally, affect his capacity to exercise his mission in our country," Barrot said, speaking to public broadcaster France Info.
− Kushner had been summoned following a statement by the State Department's Counterterrorism Bureau, which posted on X 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.
+ He said that Kushner "is bringing difficulties on himself.
− Embassy had posted that statement on social media.
+ Because for an ambassador to be able to do his job he needs access to members of the government. That's the basics."
"When these explanations have taken place, then the U.S. ambassador in France will, naturally, regain access to members of the French government," the minister said.
− Deranque, a far-right activist, died of brain injuries this month from a beating in the French city of Lyon.
+ The U.S.
− He was attacked during a fight on the margins of a student meeting where a far-left lawmaker was a keynote speaker.
+ Embassy did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment on Monday and a follow-up request on Tuesday morning also got no immediate reply.
− His killing highlighted a climate of deep political tension 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.
+ France's foreign ministry had summoned Kushner over Trump administration tweets relating to the beating death in France of a far-right activist, Quentin Deranque.
− "We have no lessons to learn, particularly on the issue of violence, from the international reactionary movement."
The State Department said in its post that "violent radical leftism is on the rise and its role in Quentin Deranque's death demonstrates the threat it poses to public safety.
+ The 23-year-old student, described as a fervent nationalist, was beaten by a group of people earlier this month in the city of Lyon, in fighting that erupted between far-left and far-right activists.
− We will continue to monitor the situation and expect to see the perpetrators of violence brought to justice."
Kushner was summoned in August over his letter to French President Emmanuel Macron alleging the country did not do enough to combat antisemitism.
+ He later died of brain injuries.
In a post last week on X, the State Department's Counterterrorism Bureau said "violent radical leftism is on the rise and its role in Quentin Deranque's death demonstrates the threat it poses to public safety."
The U.S.
− France's foreign officials met with a representative of the U.S. ambassador since the diplomat did not show up.
+ Embassy in Paris posted the same statement, in French.
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+ Barrot said France needs to discuss the comments with Kushner.
"We must have an explanation with him," Barrot said. "We don't accept that foreign countries can come and interfere, invite themselves, into the national political debate."
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