Greta Thunberg will be on CNN’s coronavirus town hall - and Twitter has a lot to say
Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg will be a part of a CNN coronavirus town hall event Thursday, which confused many social media users.
Thunberg will join former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Richard Besser and former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in the event, titled “Coronavirus — Facts and Fears.” It will be hosted by Anderson Cooper and the network’s chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Her role on the town hall program was not stated by the network. Thunberg said Thursday morning she will not be appearing as an expert on the topic, but instead as an “activist in a world altered by the coronavirus.”
“I am an activist. The only people claiming that I’m an ‘expert’ are those who are trying to ridicule me,” she tweeted. “My message has always been to unite behind the science and listen to the experts.”
Last month, Thunberg donated $100,000 to the United Nations Children’s Fund for kids affected by the coronavirus pandemic, according to Newsweek. The money she donated was prize money from Human Act for her climate activism, Newsweek reported.
But her inclusion in CNN’s panel still drew criticism from many influential people on social media. Donald Trump Jr. was among the people who poked fun at CNN’s selection of the divisive activist.
“Greta Thunberg having a remarkable career already in that as a teenager she’s now a world renowned infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist AND a leading scientific voice when it comes to global climate policy,” the president’s son said. “Just wow so impressive.”
She was previously criticized by President Donald Trump when she won Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” last year.
Conservative pundit Ben Shapiro also sent more than a half-dozen tweets Wednesday about CNN’s decision to include Thunberg in its coronavirus coverage. “Maybe CNN should sit this one out,” he said.
Others went with a more humorous approach, commenting on how CNN chose not to include an infectious disease expert in its panel.
Some people took Thunberg’s side, saying she should be allowed to be a part of the coverage when celebrity doctors like Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil have each been given platforms to speak about the virus.
“Let me see if I understand this: Dr. Oz and countless other men have been running in these cable news circuits for years spouting dangerous nonsense with few consequences, but a lot of y’all decided 17-year-old Greta Thunberg is a step too far?” writer Charlotte Clymer asked.
The town hall special will air Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.
This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 4:14 PM.