US denies political reasons for turning away French scientist

A French scientist was recently turned away at the US border, causing a dispute between the two countries. The French government claimed this decision was linked to comments the scientist made about former President Trump's policies. However, a spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, denied this claim. She said the scientist had confidential information on his electronic device from Los Alamos National Laboratory. McLaughlin stated that he admitted to taking this information without permission and tried to hide it. Los Alamos National Laboratory is well-known for its role in developing the atomic bomb. Philippe Baptiste, France's minister for higher education, emphasized that the scientist's denial of entry was due to his private messages discussing Trump’s policies, but US officials insist the true reason was the confidential information he possessed.