Donald Trump Jr. slammed Time magazine Wednesday for naming teenage activist Greta Thunberg its Person of the Year and alleged she is being “used as a marketing gimmick.”
The president’s oldest son took issue with Time on Twitter shortly after the magazine awarded its annual honor to the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist.
“Time leaves out the Hong Kong Protesters fighting for their lives and freedoms to push a teen being used as a marketing gimmick,” he tweeted. “How dare you?”
Time did not immediately return a message seeking its reaction.
Edward Felsenthal, Time’s editor in chief, explained earlier Wednesday that Miss Thunberg “became the biggest voice on the biggest issue facing the planet this year, coming from essentially nowhere to lead a worldwide movement.”
“She also represents a broader generational shift in the culture that we’re seeing from the campuses of Hong Kong to the protests in Chile, to Parkland, Florida, where the students marched against gun violence where young people are demanding change and urgently,” Mr. Felsenthal said on NBC’s “TODAY” show. “She embodies youth activism.”
Miss Thunberg is the youngest person ever picked by Time to be the magazine’s Person of the Year, Mr. Felsenthal added.
“I could never have imagined anything like that happening,” Miss Thunberg told The Associated Press about the achievement, the AP reported, adding that she is “very grateful” and “very honored.”
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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