President Donald Trump criticized left-wing Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, calling her a “strange” and “angry person” who should attend an “anger management class” following her claims of being kidnapped after her boat was intercepted by Israeli forces off the Gaza coast.
On Monday, Israeli naval forces boarded a flotilla vessel attempting to breach the maritime blockade surrounding the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Among the international activists on board was 22-year-old Greta Thunberg, whose participation drew sharp global attention and swift reaction from President Trump.
“She’s a strange person, she’s a young, angry person,” Trump told reporters. “I don’t know if it’s real anger, it’s very hard to believe.”
The boat, part of a protest convoy originating in Europe, was seized early Monday morning after ignoring repeated Israeli warnings to divert course. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the boarding was conducted in accordance with international law and the passengers were detained and treated “in a professional and respectful manner.”
Thunberg had posted on social media that she and her fellow activists were “kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupation navy,” a claim widely echoed in pro-Palestinian circles and sharply disputed by Israeli authorities.
When asked if he believed Thunberg’s allegations, Trump responded, “I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg.”
“I think she has to go to an anger management class. That’s my primary recommendation,” he added.
The matter comes after the IDF detained the Madleen’s passengers without incident, mocking the voyage as a “media provocation” and the vessel as a “selfie yacht.”
Despite the theatrics, Israel noted the aid on board was negligible and would be rerouted through proper humanitarian channels. After being served sandwiches, the detainees — including Thunberg — were shown a 43-minute video of Hamas’s October 7 massacre, a move Israeli officials said exposed the terror group the flotilla was tacitly supporting.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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