The ongoing conflict between President Donald Trump and Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is still very much alive.
After Trump labeled the 22-year-old activist as ‘strange’ and ‘too angry’, Greta responded — and her reply is creating a buzz all over the internet.
Once again, Greta Thunberg is at the heart of an international controversy — and this time, Donald Trump quickly added his opinion.
The 22-year-old Swedish climate activist was sent back from Israel on June 10 after being reportedly detained by Israeli forces while trying to reach Gaza with humanitarian supplies.
Thunberg asserts that she and 11 other activists were ‘kidnapped in international waters’, a statement that Israeli officials firmly reject — referring to the mission as ‘a selfie yacht’ and merely ‘a media stunt’ aimed at gaining attention.
‘She’s a young, angry person’
In a pre-recorded video posted on Instagram shortly after the group’s interception, Thunberg can be heard stating: ‘If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces — or forces that support Israel.’
When asked by reporters on June 10 if he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had talked about Thunberg during a phone call earlier that day, Trump responded.
Tom Brenner For The Washington Post via Getty Images
‘She’s a strange person,’ he told the press. ‘She’s a young, angry person. I don’t know if it’s real anger; it’s hard to believe, actually.’
But he didn’t stop there.
‘I saw what happened. She’s certainly different. Anger management. I think she needs to attend anger management classes. That’s my main advice for her.’
Trump also outright rejected her claims, stating:
‘I think Israel has enough issues without kidnapping Greta Thunberg.’
Greta’s reply.
Many believed Trump had overstepped, making personal attacks on Greta instead of addressing her opinions — but in typical Trump style, no one was really surprised.
After being taken by Israeli forces, Greta was eventually deported.
During a short layover in France on her way back to Sweden, Thunberg encountered a crowd of reporters — and they couldn’t help but ask her thoughts on Trump’s recent comments.
“Well, I think the world needs a lot more young angry women to be honest — especially with everything happening right now. That’s what we need the most,” she shot back.
When asked if she acknowledged entering Israel illegally, Thunberg clarified:
“I did not recognize that I entered the country illegally. I made it very clear in my testimony that we were kidnapped on international waters and brought there against our own will into Israel.”
Thunberg was part of a humanitarian effort with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, aiming to deliver supplies and raise global awareness about the suffering in Gaza.
She didn’t hold back.
Along with Thunberg, the boat had several other prominent passengers: Rima Hassan, a member of the European Parliament; journalist Yanis Mhamdi; Al Jazeera presenter Omar Faiad; and FFC organizers Yasemin Acar and Thiago Ávila.
“This was a mission to once again bring aid to Gaza, which is urgently needed,” she stated.
“But also to express solidarity and say that we see you, we see what is happening and we cannot just stand by and do nothing — that can never be an option.”
She was also direct about the ongoing crisis:
“Right now [it is] more crucial than ever because of the siege and the systematic starvation of over two million people, and the full-blown live stream genocide.”
Israel, on the other hand, continues to firmly reject any claims of genocide.