France has officially prohibited the U.S. ambassador from direct contact with French government officials after he failed to attend a scheduled meeting. Ambassador Charles Kushner, who is the father of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, was summoned by French authorities but did not appear as planned on the evening of February 23. Instead, he sent a representative from the U.S. embassy.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from the French Foreign Ministry, which accused Kushner of failing to grasp the fundamental responsibilities of his diplomatic role. In response, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot issued what has been described as a "diplomatic ban," barring the ambassador from direct engagement with French officials.
The dispute stems from comments made by the U.S. embassy regarding the death of French far-right activist Quentin De Langre. According to French media, De Langre died after being assaulted by far-left activists during a protest at the Lyon Institute of Political Studies. On February 20, the U.S. embassy posted on social media that France was experiencing a "rise in violent left-wing extremism," arguing that the incident highlighted a threat to public safety.
These remarks reportedly angered the French government. Barrot stated on February 22 that France rejects any attempt to exploit the tragedy for political purposes and emphasized that the country does not need lessons from "international reactionary forces," particularly on matters of violence.
This is not the first time Ambassador Kushner has skipped a meeting with French officials. In August 2025, he was called to the French Foreign Ministry to explain his public criticism of the French government’s efforts to combat antisemitism but similarly declined to attend.
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