Don’t expect Greta Thunberg to meet with President Donald Trump anytime soon.
On “The Ellen DeGeneres Show ” Friday, the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist said she didn’t see much point in meeting with the president, who appeared to mock her on Twitter last month.
“I don’t understand why I would do that,” Thunberg said. “I don’t see what I could tell him that he hasn’t already heard, and I just think it would be a waste of time, really.”
Though Thunberg’s activism has garnered high-profile supporters, it’s also sparked ire from many conservatives. Most recently, her Sept. 23 speech at the United Nations Climate Action Summit was criticized by Fox News host Laura Ingraham , among others.
DeGeneres said she had been trying to book Thunberg as a guest on the show for two months. Not only does the teen have a packed schedule of climate rallies and conferences to attend, but she has also given up flying as part of her commitment to living a low-carbon life.
Elsewhere in the interview, Thunberg said she first learned about climate change in elementary school, when she was between the ages of 7 and 9.
“I just couldn’t believe it, because I thought if this was really true, then surely, someone must’ve done something,” Thunberg said. “Then, surely, we would take it seriously. But no one took it seriously.”
“Once I fully understood, I couldn’t just look away anymore,” she added.
Thunberg’s “Ellen” appearance coincides with her visit to Los Angeles , where she will be the keynote speaker at Friday’s youth climate strike.
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