Melania denies hypocrisy for guarding Barron’s privacy while Donald Trump attacks Greta Thunberg 

‘She is an activist who travels the globe. He is a 13-year-old who wants privacy.’ Melania Trump denies she is a hypocrite for guarding son Barron’s privacy while husband Donald attacks Greta Thunberg

  • Donald Trump picked a Twitter fight with climate activist Greta Thunberg, 16, who has Asperger’s Syndrome
  • Critics compared it to Melania’s insistence that no one can insert 13-year-old Barron Trump into political news cycles
  • White House fired back, saying Thunberg is a professional activist and Barron is a privacy-seeking kid
  • Donald and Melania have tried to carve out a normal life for the shy Barron
  • Thunberg’s mother, also an environmental advocate, has encouraged her to lead school boycotts and lead public protests 

The White House pushed back Friday against claims that Donald Trump’s tweeted jab at global warming activist Greta Thunberg, 16, is incompatible with Melania Trump’s protective insistence that her 13-year-old son Barron is out-of-bounds for reporters.

The first lady has crusaded against cyber-bullying as one plank in her ‘BeBest’ platform.

The president mocked Thunberg on Thursday after Time magazine named the jet-setting, school-bycotting teen its Person of the Year, leaving his spokeswoman to parry claims of hypocrisy.

‘BeBest is the First Lady’s initiative, and she will continue to use it to do all she can to help children,’ White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement. ‘It is no secret that the President and First Lady often communicate differently — as most married couples do.’

‘Their son is not an activist who travels the globe giving speeches,’ Grisham said of Barron Trump. ‘He is a 13-year-old who wants and deserves privacy.’

The White House fired back Friday on Melania Trump’s behalf against critics who say it’s hypocritical for her to demand privacy for her 13-year-old son Barron while President Donald Trump mocks 16-year-old global warming activist Greta Thunberg online

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg was leading a 'Fridays For Future' rally in Turin, Italy on Friday while people sniped at Melania Trump about her husband's treatment of the teen

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg was leading a ‘Fridays For Future’ rally in Turin, Italy on Friday while people sniped at Melania Trump about her husband’s treatment of the teen

Barron Trump is shy and reserved and hasn't spoken in public during his famous father's presidency or 2016 campaign

Barron Trump is shy and reserved and hasn’t spoken in public during his famous father’s presidency or 2016 campaign

The first couple has tried to give Barron the most normal life a teenage child of a president can have, keeping him out of the public eye and shepherding him to school with a peer group.

Thunberg has led more than a year of global school boycotts to draw attention to climate change

Thunberg has led more than a year of global school boycotts to draw attention to climate change

Thunberg’s mother Malena Ernman, a former Swedish opera singer, has encouraged her to pursue an unusualy path of environmental activism. Ernman gave up her career because of the environmental impact of air travel, advocates for the Paris Climate Treaty, and wrote a book about ecology and sustainability.

That has led to leadership of a global movement encouraging schoolchildren to boycott classes to highlight climate change, hundreds of protest events, a heavily publicized transatlantic crossing by sailboat, and a fiery speech to the United Nations General Assembly.

The teen girl with Asperger’s syndrome is the face of the youth climate movement, drawing large crowds with her appearances at protests and conferences since last year. 

Her angry accusations that world leaders are failing the younger generation have made headlines, including her shouts of ‘How dare you?’ and ‘You have stolen my future!’ at the UN this year.   

President Trump has said he doesn't believe climate change is primarily caused by human activity that global treaties can reverse; he pulled the U.S. out of a multinational climate treaty this year, saying it put the U.S. at an economic disadvantage and allwoed China and Russia to avoid making serious commitments

President Trump has said he doesn’t believe climate change is primarily caused by human activity that global treaties can reverse; he pulled the U.S. out of a multinational climate treaty this year, saying it put the U.S. at an economic disadvantage and allwoed China and Russia to avoid making serious commitments

Donald Trump blasted Thunberg after Time magazine named her 'Person of the Year' (above) and she fired back on Twitter (below) by adopting his critique as her biography line

Donald Trump blasted Thunberg after Time magazine named her ‘Person of the Year’ (above) and she fired back on Twitter (below) by adopting his critique as her biography line 

 

An image of her staring daggers at Trump as he entered a UN parlor and stole the media’s focus away from her quickly became a social media meme. 

The president reacted to her Time magazine co ver on Twitter, writing: ‘So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!’

She promptly changed her Twitter biography to tweak Trump: ‘A teenager working on her anger management problem. Currently chilling and watching a good old fashioned movie with a friend.’ 

Thunberg had used her Twitter bio to turn Trump’s attacks back on him before. 

In September she described herself as a ‘very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future’ after the president sneered the same words in a sarcastic tone following her UN speech. 

Time named Thunberg its 2019 'Person of the Year,' putting her above Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Time named Thunberg its 2019 ‘Person of the Year,’ putting her above Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Thunberg's accusations that leaders are failing younger generations have made headlines, including her shouts of 'How dare you?' and 'You have stolen my future!' at the UN General Assembly

Thunberg’s accusations that leaders are failing younger generations have made headlines, including her shouts of ‘How dare you?’ and ‘You have stolen my future!’ at the UN General Assembly

Thunberg is Time’s youngest-ever Person of the Year, a title that still sparks Internet curiosity one day each year despite the steep decline of magazine sales.

Trump has said he doesn’t believe global warming is mainly caused by humans. 

During the 2016 campaign he claimed it was a ‘hoax’ promoted by China in order to gain economic advantage over the United States.

The president has since withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris agreement.  

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk