Can the Statue of Liberty be cleaned? AI videos of what Lady Liberty would look like after the green patina is removed go viral

On Monday, September 1, Dom Lucre shared a video of the cleaning of the Statue of Liberty on X.

In the AI-generated video, that statue, which was built in 1885, was cleaned and polished using professional tools until all the green patina was removed and its shining copper body resurfaced. The video, which appeared to be an advertisement for a metal polish, ended up going viral on the internet. 

🔥🚨DEVELOPING: Americans who are trying to organize a national movement to clean the statue of liberty next year for America's 250th anniversary have started uploading videos of what they envision the statue would look like if they accomplish their goal

pic.twitter.com/uWZsAx8OjG

— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) August 31, 2025

The viral tweet is linked to the viral "Clean Statue of Liberty" movement that gained traction in July 2025, amid the New York and New Jersey floods.

Many residents of New York (as well as influencers) started sharing before-and-after pictures of the statue on their social media handles. With their posts, they called for the statue's cleaning and restoration by next year, when the US will celebrate 250 years of its independence.

However, according to an AMNY article published in July 2018, the Statue of Liberty can't be washed. At the time of its public inauguration in 1886, the color of the copper-made statue was like that of an old penny, Jerry Willis said.

Willis - a spokesperson for the National Park Service - went on to add:

"Exposed to the elements, copper oxidizes and turns the familiar green patina over time. It is a protective layer that shields the statue from the extreme elements of New York Harbor, like high winds, salt water and air pollution."

Willis believes that cleaning the green patina off the Statue of Liberty will do it more harm than good.

The media outlet also reports that a team at the National Park Service - consisting of 24 members - is responsible for the maintenance of the Statue of Liberty. They take care of all daily tasks around the monument, including checking on plumbing, HVAC, and electrical systems, clearing drainage grates, and groundskeeping.

A French politician demanded the Statue of Liberty's return to France, but the White House rejected it

The call for the Statue of Liberty's restoration comes months after Raphael Glucksmann, a French politician, said at a party convention that the statue was a gift to America, which should be returned now.

NPR News reports that Glucksmann joined in the broader criticism the US was receiving over its immigration practices, particularly with its European allies.

A day later, the politician's statement about the statue was addressed in the White House briefing, where Karoline Leavitt said that there was no way that would happen. The press secretary continued:

"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 last time the Statue of Liberty underwent major restoration was in 1982, when Lee Iacocca was appointed by President Ronald Reagan for the job, Jerry Willis shared. Iacocca, who was the chairman of Chrysler Corporation, led the restoration project, which had received funding of over $87 million.