This isn’t the first time Trump has bullied Thunberg on Twitter. In September, Thunberg gave a speech urging adults to act on climate change. "I shouldn't be up here," the teenager said in her U.N. climate action speech. "I should be back at school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you! You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words.”
Moving, for sure, but not particularly happy. Trump, who has described climate change as a hoax and whose administration continues to attack the environment, made haste on Twitter to diminish her as a “very happy young girl” as her speech went viral.
Trump attacking people, and specifically women, on social media is nothing new. Notable with regard to his attacks on Thunberg, however, is that many Republicans have criticized people for making reference to Trump’s 13-year-old son Barron.
Trump’s own wife, Melania, recently tweeted that, as minors, kids should be “kept out of politics.”
In spite of Melania’s “Be Best” anti-bullying campaign, Trump seems to have no issue attacking teenagers—or anyone.
How has Thunberg reacted to Trump’s latest outburst? With a lot of hilarity and patience, as usual. Instead of replying to Trump directly, she updated her Twitter bio.
Greta Thunberg is handling being bullied by the President of the United States much better than I would be. I’m genuinely proud of her.
She made a similar move when Trump described her as a “happy young girl,” updating her bio to mimic his phrasing: “A very young happy girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future.” She has also said that she is uninterested in meeting with Trump to discuss climate change, astutely noting that it would be a “waste of time.”
Teenagers shouldn't have to handle being bullied by the sitting U.S. president with this much grace and maturity, but Thunberg continues to lead by example.
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