France Bars US Ambassador Charles Kushner From Direct Government Access For Skipping Summons
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Last Updated:February 24, 2026, 06:28 IST
Charles Kushner was summoned over comments made about the death of a French far-right activist earlier this month, but “did not appear” on Monday
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The US ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, has been barred from directly accessing French government ministers after he failed to appear to a summons by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.
Kushner was summoned over comments made about the death of a French far-right activist earlier this month, but “did not appear" on Monday, a statement from France’s foreign affairs ministry, the Quai d’Orsay, said, CNN reported.
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“Faced with this apparent misunderstanding of the basic expectations of an ambassador’s mission, the Minister has requested that he no longer have direct access to members of the French government," the ministry said.
However, Kushner will be allowed to carry out his diplomatic duties and engage in official exchanges with French authorities.
The dispute centers on the death of 23-year-old Quentin Deranque, who died two days after sustaining severe head injuries during a brawl in Lyon on February 12.
Video footage of the incident, which showed masked individuals kicking and punching a man on the ground, sparked widespread shock across France. The incident shocked the nation and was been called “France’s Charlie Kirk moment", referring to last year’s shooting of the US conservative activist.
Authorities have charged two people with murder in connection with Deranque’s death, and a total of 11 suspects have been arrested.
The controversy intensified after the US Embassy in Paris shared a post from the US State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism warning that “violent radical leftism is on the rise" and suggesting the activist had been killed by left-wing militants. French officials rejected the remarks as interference in domestic affairs.
Barrot said Sunday that the embassy’s comments concerned “our national community" and should not be exploited externally. “We reject any interference in this event," he told France Inter radio.
The incident marked the second time Kushner has failed to appear after being summoned by French authorities. In August 2025, he was called in following remarks criticizing the French government’s response to rising antisemitism. On that occasion, a US chargé d’affaires attended the meeting in his absence.
(With inputs from agencies)
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