Greta Thunberg, once the poster child for apocalyptic climate alarmism, has found herself at the center of an entirely different controversy—and this time, it’s not about carbon footprints or melting glaciers. The Swedish activist, who recently pivoted from climate doom to full-throated pro-Palestinian activism, was detained by the Israeli Defense Forces after attempting to breach the naval blockade of Gaza aboard an aid flotilla. But the stunt—and it was a stunt—went exactly as planned, down to the pre-recorded “kidnapping” video Thunberg released before even setting sail.
Naturally, President Trump was asked about the incident, and in classic Trump fashion, he didn’t mince words. “She’s a strange person,” he said, accurately capturing the global head-scratching that’s followed Thunberg’s career arc from teen climate prophet to geopolitical provocateur. “Anger management. I think she has to go to an angry management class. That’s my primary recommendation for her.”
LOL: Pres. Trump knows EXACTLY what miss Greta Thunberg needs: Anger Management Classes. pic.twitter.com/jhP1To0tt3
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 9, 2025
When asked whether he believed Israel had “kidnapped” Thunberg, Trump responded with mock disbelief, suggesting—rightly—that the IDF might have bigger issues than detaining a Swedish celebrity activist with a penchant for photo ops and melodrama. “I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg,” he quipped with a smirk.
The irony here is rich. Thunberg, whose very brand is built on doom-laden theatrics, has become a willing participant in what looks less like humanitarian aid and more like a coordinated PR maneuver. The so-called “aid boat” was warned multiple times not to proceed toward Gaza, a war zone tightly monitored for threats, smuggling, and outside provocations. Yet Thunberg and her crew pressed forward—and conveniently had a message ready for the cameras.
“My name is Greta Thunberg and I am from Sweden. If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel.” pic.twitter.com/Ku7QILHpfd
— Prem Thakker (@prem_thakker) June 9, 2025
In response, Israeli officials weren’t amused. Defense Minister Israel Katz not only praised the IDF for a safe operation, but also instructed troops to show the detained passengers footage of the October 7 massacre by Hamas—a brutal reminder of the reality Thunberg seems perpetually blind to. As one post on X succinctly stated: “There are ways to deliver aid to Gaza. They do not involve provocations and selfies.”
A photo of Thunberg grinning in a frog hat while being escorted to safety may become the defining image of the incident—part protest theater, part viral sideshow. And Israel isn’t backing down from its assessment of Thunberg as an “anti-Semitic” provocateur siding with Hamas sympathizers under the guise of humanitarianism.
Trump calls Greta Thunberg a “strange bird” who needs “anger management”
Q: “Was she kidnapped by Israel as she says?”
“Israel has enough problems. Why would they kidnap Greta Thunberg” pic.twitter.com/r02hgCT8tV
— Sara Rose (@saras76) June 9, 2025
The young activist’s drift from climate to conflict doesn’t just raise eyebrows—it reveals the hollowness of her activism. When every crisis becomes an opportunity for self-branding, it’s hard to take the message seriously. And when her version of “resistance” involves breaching a military blockade during wartime, it stops being a statement and starts becoming a security threat.
