‘Some people put climate at unrealistic level’: Trump’s jibe at Greta Thunberg

On whether he thought global warming was a hoax, the US President said, “No not at all— I think aspects of it are.”

We want the cleanest water and air on Earth, Trump continued, as he pointed a finger towards the countries where pollution levels are rising rather than the United States. “Greta ought to focus on those places.” He also said that he would have loved to see Thunberg before concluding the press conference.

Slamming the climate activist, Trump questioned her age and when reporters told him that she was 17, the US President said, “Oh, that’s good. She beat me out on Time Magazine.”

The World Economic Forum where sustainability was the main theme this year, Trump on Tuesday had called for a rejection of “prediction of the apocalypse”, adding that America would defend its economy.

Meanwhile, the 17-year-old Swedish climate activist who has led a global movement for urgent environmental action,
sat quietly through the speech and seemed unrepentant in her remarks. She refrained from naming Trump, but issued a warning to world leaders: “Our house is still on fire,” she said.

(with AP inputs)