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Home · News

President Trump Mocks 16-Year-Old Climate Activist Greta Thunberg

Donald Trump tweeted a clip of the 16-year-old activist's impassioned speech at the United Nations' special meeting quipping "She seems like a very happy young girl."
President Trump Mocks 16-Year-Old Climate Activist Greta Thunberg
KENA BETANCUR/AFP/Getty Images
By Breanna Edwards · Updated October 23, 2020

On Monday at the United Nations’ special meeting on climate change, 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg gave an impassioned speech, slamming leaders of the world for failing the children of the future.

”People are suffering, people are dying, entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairytales of eternal economic growth,” the Swedish teen railed.

“You are failing us,” she added to those present. “But the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say: We will never forgive you.”

While Thunberg’s speech was met with applause, it seems as if Tweeter-in-Chief took issue with her data-backed statements, but couldn’t pull together anything else but a jeering dismissal of the teen’s bravery and activism.

“She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!” Trump quipped flippantly in a tweet containing a clip of the teen’s statement.

She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see! https://t.co/1tQG6QcVKO

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2019

“So nice to see” was all the President of the supposed most powerful nation on earth, the one he himself claims as “great” had to say of a teen activists plea to leaders to fix the problem of climate change before it becomes entirely too late.

Some others have also lashed out against the teen – including Fox News guest Michael Knowles who called Thunberg a “mentally ill Swedish child who is being exploited by her parents and by the international left.”

However, Trump’s mentions on Twitter soon filled with those firing back at him, as a world leader and a grown man, attacking a little girl.

Just curious…how do you think a grown man, a US president, “seems” when he attacks a little girl? Let me tell you: a weak, feckless, pathetic COWARD. A sick twisted sociopath. @GretaThunberg #GretaThunberg #Trump

— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) September 24, 2019

You’re mocking @GretaThunberg?Angry at and jealous of a 16-year-old girl? Because, unlike you, she’s smart, loved, respected and has a #NobelPeacePrize. You’re a sociopath… and your crippling insecurities and self-loathing is eating you alive… #Trump #GretaThunberg

— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) September 24, 2019

President of United States attacks 16 year old girl who cares about public policy issue.

— Elie Honig (@eliehonig) September 24, 2019

And she's gonna win a Nobel Prize.

Unlike elections and Republicans, those can't be bought.

— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) September 24, 2019

A brilliant child who cares about her future and the future of every living thing. A child who knows the facts- the grim realities and still has hope. A child with absolute integrity. No one expects you to understand. Tragic.

— Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) September 24, 2019

Mocking a child with Asperger's who cares about what happens to billions of people and speaks up to do something about it. Really???

— Rachelle Akuffo (@RachelleAkuffo) September 24, 2019

As for Ms. Thunberg, she remains booked, busy and unbothered as she, a 16-year-old child, has to be the voice of reason among adults.

She and 15 other children from across the world filed a legal complaint against Germany, France, Brazil, Argentina and Turkey over the climate crisis through the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child arguing that their human rights have been violated and that the five countries have not done enough “to prevent the deadly and foreseeable consequences” of climate change.

The cherry on top of the cake? Thunberg is of the generation of the internet and knows how to go head to head with an internet bully.

Her Twitter bio now simply reads “A very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future.”

TOPICS:  climate change Donald Trump Greta Thunberg
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