VietJoy

VOA - Vietnam News

U.S. President Donald Trump took aim at Swedish teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg Thursday, suggesting she has problems controlling anger.

"So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem," Trump tweeted, and added she should "then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill."

Twitter screenshot

Criticism of a minor by a sitting U.S. president is unusual, and it came one day after Thunberg was named Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2019. Trump was a candidate for the Person of the Year designation.

Trump's comments apparently did not go unnoticed by Thunberg.

The 16-year-old responded to his tweet by changing her Twitter bio to say: "A teenager working on her anger management problem. Currently chilling and watching a good old fashioned movie with a friend."

Screenshot of Greta Thunberg's Twitter profile page.

The backlash to Trump's criticism of Thunberg was swift on social media, with many Twitter users accusing him of bullying. Others, however, came to Trump's defense.

Thunberg is the youngest person to win the prestigious Time magazine designation after quickly evolving into one of the world's most prominent climate change activists.

Editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal made the announcement Wednesday during an appearance on NBC's Today show.

"She became the biggest voice on the biggest issue facing the planet this year, coming from essentially nowhere to lead a worldwide movement," Felsenthal said.

Thunberg's Friday protests alone outside the Swedish parliament building during school hours at age 15 helped trigger a global movement to fight climate change.

FILE - Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, then 15, holds a placard reading "School strike for the climate" during a rally for action against climate change, outside the Swedish parliament in Stockholm, Sweden, Nov. 30, 2018.

The movement, which became known as "Fridays for Future," prompted millions of people in about 150 countries "to act on behalf of the planet," Felsenthal said.

Felsenthal noted that Thunberg "represents a broader generational shift in culture," with more youth advocating for change worldwide, including during demonstrations in places such as Hong Kong, Chile, Sudan and Lebanon.

Thunberg's straightforward speaking style captured the attention of world leaders, resulting in invitations to speak at several high-profile events, including at the United Nations and before the United States Congress.

During her appearance before U.S. lawmakers, Thunberg, who has Asperger syndrome, refused to read prepared remarks. She, instead, submitted the U.N.'s 2018 global warming report to them and declared, "I don't want you to listen to me. I want you to listen to the scientists, and I want you to unite behind the science."

One of her most memorable moments came at the U.N. Climate Change Summit in September, when she berated U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other world leaders, declaring they had stolen her "dreams of childhood" with their "empty words."

"We are in the beginning of a mass extinction," she said, "and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!"

Those words resonated worldwide, energizing climate change activists and prompting scornful reactions from others.

Thunberg's dedication to fighting climate change also earned her a nomination for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.