Leavitt: “Because of the US, the French Are Not Speaking German”; Biden Autopen Pardons; Eggs Down 47%, Gas Down 42 Cents

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a wide-ranging March 2025 briefing that produced several headline moments. When asked about a French politician who wanted the Statue of Liberty returned, Leavitt responded: “It’s only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now.” She pressed reporters to investigate whether Biden’s autopen-signed pardons were done without his knowledge, cited declining egg prices (down 47% since January), gas prices (down 42 cents from a year ago), and cooling inflation, and defended the administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act as “within the confines of the law."

"The French Are Not Speaking German Right Now”

The exchange began with a reporter’s question about a French member of the European Parliament who had suggested that the United States no longer represented the values of the Statue of Liberty.

“There is now a member of the European Parliament from France who does not think the US represents the values of the Statue of Liberty anymore,” the reporter said. “They want the Statue of Liberty back. So is President Trump going to send the Statue of Liberty back to France?”

Leavitt’s response was instant: “Absolutely not.”

She then delivered the line that would dominate coverage of the briefing: “And my advice to that unnamed low-level French politician would be to remind them that it’s only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now. So they should be very grateful to our great country.”

The response drew on the deepest well of transatlantic history — the American role in liberating France during World War II. The argument was that France’s ability to exercise political speech at all, including criticism of the United States, existed because of American sacrifice. A French politician complaining about American values while enjoying freedoms secured by American blood was, in Leavitt’s framing, the definition of ingratitude.

The “unnamed low-level” qualifier was deliberate. By refusing to name the politician, Leavitt denied them the attention they were seeking while simultaneously diminishing their stature. They were not important enough to name, let alone important enough to warrant returning a national monument.

Biden’s Autopen Pardons: “Criminal or Illegal Behavior”

Leavitt used the briefing to escalate the autopen controversy that Trump had raised the day before, pressing the press corps to investigate whether Biden had actually authorized the pardons signed in his name.

“The President was raising the point that did the President even know about these pardons?” Leavitt said. “Was his illegal signature used without his consent or knowledge?”

She cited external reporting to support the claim: “And that’s not just the President or me raising those questions, Caitlyn. According to the New York Post, there are Biden officials from the previous White House who raised those questions and wondered if the President was even consulted about his legally binding signature being signed onto documents.”

Leavitt then laid out the potential legal implications: “And so I think it’s a question that everybody in this room should be looking into, because certainly that would propose perhaps criminal or illegal behavior if staff members were signing the President of the United States’ autograph without his consent.”

She acknowledged the counterargument before redirecting it: “The President is on the record talking about issuing preemptive pardons to these people. But was he aware of his signature being used on every single pardon? That’s a question you should ask the Biden White House.”

When a reporter asked whether there was evidence that Biden was unaware, Leavitt turned the question back: “You’re a reporter. You should find out.”

The exchange was notable for what it accomplished. Leavitt was not claiming to have evidence that Biden’s pardons were unauthorized. She was framing the question as one that journalists should be investigating, effectively redirecting the press corps’ investigative energy toward the legitimacy of Biden’s final acts. The suggestion that “criminal or illegal behavior” might have occurred was enough to generate coverage and further undermine confidence in the pardons’ validity.

Economic Indicators: Eggs, Gas, and Inflation

Leavitt pivoted to the economic data, presenting a comprehensive case for optimism.

“If you look at some of the economic indicators in the last week, the latest CPI report last week beat expectations,” Leavitt said. “Inflation is cooling. Core inflation dropped for the first time in four months.”

She provided the specific consumer prices that resonated most with ordinary Americans: “The national average of the price of gas is down 42 cents from one year ago.”

Then the egg prices that had become a political flashpoint: “And there was also a new report out this morning about wholesale egg prices. They continue to fall. A dozen eggs are now $3 and 10 cents cheaper since January 24th. First, that’s a 47 percent decrease overall.”

Leavitt connected the data points to the administration’s broader economic framework: “If you look at the President’s first term economic formula — massive deregulation, tax cuts, lowering the cost of living with an energy boom, which the American people can expect soon — Wall Street and Main Street should both be assured by what President Trump did in his first term.”

She added a prediction: “It’s the exact same formula. In fact, I would argue it’s even better this time around.”

The presentation was designed to counter the media narrative about tariff-induced economic uncertainty. By leading with falling consumer prices — the metrics that affected household budgets directly — Leavitt was arguing that the economic trajectory was positive regardless of market volatility. Eggs and gas were things people bought every week; their declining prices were felt immediately.

Alien Enemies Act: “Wholly Confident”

Leavitt addressed the legal challenge to the administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act with a statement of unequivocal confidence.

“This administration acted within the confines of the law, again, within the President’s constitutional authority and under the authority granted to him under the Alien Enemies Act,” Leavitt said. “We are quite confident in that. And we are wholly confident that we are going to win this case in court.”

When a reporter asked whether the president could defy court orders without undermining checks and balances, Leavitt framed the question as a misunderstanding of the administration’s position. The administration was not defying the law — it was acting within it. The court challenges were themselves the system working, and the administration intended to prevail through the legal process.

The confidence reflected the administration’s broader strategy on judicial resistance. Rather than moderating its actions in response to lower court injunctions, the administration was pressing forward, appealing unfavorable rulings, and expressing certainty that the Supreme Court would ultimately vindicate its positions.

The Briefing as Governance

The March 2025 briefing illustrated Leavitt’s approach to the podium: treat every question as an opportunity to advance the administration’s narrative. A question about the Statue of Liberty became a history lesson about American sacrifice. A question about autopen became a challenge to the press corps to investigate Biden. A question about the economy became a catalog of improving indicators. A question about the Alien Enemies Act became a statement of legal confidence.

Each response redirected the conversation from the premise the reporter intended to the conclusion the administration wanted. The result was a briefing that covered four distinct topics but conveyed a single message: the administration was confident, effective, and winning on every front.

Key Takeaways

• Leavitt told a French politician wanting the Statue of Liberty back: “It’s only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now.”
• She escalated the autopen controversy, asking whether Biden’s pardons were signed without his knowledge and calling potential unauthorized use “criminal or illegal behavior.”
• Economic data cited: eggs down 47% ($3.10 cheaper since January 24th), gas down 42 cents year-over-year, CPI beat expectations, core inflation dropped for the first time in four months.
• Leavitt defended the Alien Enemies Act: “We acted within the confines of the law… and we are wholly confident we are going to win this case in court.”
• She challenged reporters to investigate the autopen question themselves: “You’re a reporter. You should find out.”