Donald Trump enjoys going after critics on social media, but no one could have predicted the president would throw some shade in the direction of teenager Greta Thunberg. The 16-year-old climate activist drew the attention of the president after making an appearance at the UN Climate Summit.
“She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!” Trump wrote on Twitter.
The comments come in response to Thunberg’s comments about climate change where she was discussing a potential “extinction” if things did not get better.
“People are suffering, people are dying, entire ecosystems are collapsing,” Thunberg said while speaking at on Monday at the UN Climate Summit. “We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth.
“For 30 years the science has been crystal clear. How dare you continue to look away then come here, saying you are doing enough.”
The comments from Trump also follow a meeting between Thunberg, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, and former president Barack Obama.
Trump wasn’t alone in criticism of Thunberg. She was also mocked by Michael Knowles during an appearance on Fox News’ The Story with Martha MacCallum who described her as “a mentally ill Swedish child who is being exploited by her parents and by the international left.”
Knowles later attempted to defend his comments on Twitter.
“There is nothing shameful about living with mental disorders,” he wrote. “Your suggestion to the contrary is not only wrong but deeply offensive. Did Greta’s mother insult her when she wrote a book describing the child’s struggles with mental and developmental disorders? Children should never be exploited for political purposes, and mentally ill children are particularly vulnerable.”
The good news for Thunberg is that she has already made a big enough impact to generate the attention of political commentators and the president. And she’s showing no sign of slowing down anytime soon.