Greta Thunberg: I wouldn't have 'wasted my time' by talking to President Trump

Teenager Greta Thunberg, who has become famous for being like every other teenager who has strong opinions on a subject about which she has no expertise, says that she wouldn't have bothered to speak with President Donald Trump if she had run into him at a recent climate summit in New York City.

According to Business Insider, Thunberg made the comments Monday during an interview with BBC Radio 4. Thunberg was asked what she would say to President Trump if she happened to run into him at the September climate summit in New York City, and she responded that she wouldn't have said anything at all.

"Honestly, I don't think I would have said anything because obviously he's not listening to scientists and experts, so why would he listen to me? So I probably wouldn't have said anything. I wouldn't have wasted my time."

Thunberg has become a hero to many climate activists, progressives, and liberal media figures for her harangues of world leaders for their alleged inaction on climate change. She was named Time's Person of the Year over other finalists, including the Hong Kong protesters, who have faced down the Chinese regime. Streaming service Hulu has announced plans for a documentary about Thunberg's life.

Thunberg has also argued that her environmental activism is part of a broader push to make the world a more progressive place. In an op-ed published last month, Thunberg claimed:

That action must be powerful and wide-ranging. After all, the climate crisis is not just about the environment. It is a crisis of human rights, of justice, and of political will. Colonial, racist, and patriarchal systems of oppression have created and fueled it. We need to dismantle them all. Our political leaders can no longer shirk their responsibilities.

President Trump, for his part, provoked widespread hand wringing and criticism from media figures for a December tweet in which he offered mild criticism of Thunberg.