After Trump insult, Michelle Obama cheers on Thunberg
WASHINGTON — Hours after the president of the United States ridiculed a 16-year-old Swedish climate change activist who was chosen as Time magazine’s “Person of the Year,” a former first lady came to her defense.
“@GretaThunberg, don’t let anyone dim your light,” Michelle Obama tweeted at her on Friday morning. “Ignore the doubters and know that millions of people are cheering you on.”
Though Obama did not specify who the “doubters” were, the teenage climate activist has a very vocal one in the White House.
On Wednesday, Time named Thunberg its Person of the Year for her climate activism, which has sparked youth-led protests around the world to demand government action on climate change. She became the youngest person — and one of only a handful of solo women — to receive it.
The next day, Trump fired off a derisive tweet to his 67 million followers, calling Time’s choice “so ridiculous.”
“Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend!” Trump tweeted, before telling her to “Chill Greta, Chill!”
Democratic politicians swiftly criticized the president for attacking a teenage girl who has been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.
Thunberg and Trump have become unlikely foils in the international debate over climate change. Thunberg leads a young, global movement of unapologetically frustrated climate change activists while Trump has long espoused climate change skepticism and his administration has attempted to dismantle numerous environmental protections.
Thunberg, a Swedish teen who began skipping school last year to hold weekly climate vigils, has not held back when it comes to chastising politicians — and older generations — on their inaction on global warming.
At a U.N. climate summit in September, Thunberg told world leaders, “You’re failing us, but the young people are starting to understand your betrayal.”
Michelle Obama’s tweet is not the first time Thunberg has received the endorsement of the former first family. Thunberg met with President Barack Obama at his Washington office in September.