You’d think Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin had pulled a Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein, or Bill Clinton, judging by the reaction by the Left.
But no.
Reporters and other Leftists were scandalized – How Dare You! –that Mnuchin stated what all the world can see but fails to say out loud: Greta Thunberg is a kid who needs a little more seasoning before lecturing the world on economic theory.
He did it with one joke about the leftist teenage environmental oracle who went to Davos to demand the world function without fossil fuels.
Here’s what Mnuchin had the temerity to say in answer to this question: “Does Greta Thunberg’s call for an end to fossil fuel investment threaten U.S. economic growth?”
If you don't know, this is the question Steve Mnuchin was asked by a reporter:
"Does Greta Thunberg’s call for an end to fossil fuel investment threaten US economic growth?"— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) January 23, 2020
Stand back for the answer, the flames might singe your eyebrows or calve a glacier or something. CNBC reports Mnuchin told a scrum of reporters:
“Is she the chief economist or who is she? I’m confused,” Mnuchin said, before adding this was “a joke. That was funny.”
“After she goes and studies economics in college she can come back and explain that to us,” Mnuchin said.
Greta huffed – or was it her father? He and climate activist Adarsh Prathap ghostwrite some of her social media – that she’s in her gap year before college, thank-you-very-much:
My gap year ends in August, but it doesn’t take a college degree in economics to realise that our remaining 1,5° carbon budget and ongoing fossil fuel subsidies and investments don’t add up. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/1virpuOyYG
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) January 23, 2020
Greta has said she is on a sabbatical from school. She says she would have gotten straight As if she hadn’t skipped school for “climate action”:
“In June, Bloomberg reported that Thunberg had graduated from secondary education with 14 As and three Bs. Thunberg reportedly took home Bs in Swedish, physical education, and home economics, according to Bloomberg. While those are solid grades for anyone, let alone a student repeatedly missing school to protest in front of Swedish Parliament, Thunberg reportedly told the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter that she likely would have pulled off straight As had it not been for her weekly climate strikes.”
I mean, after looking at those credentials. A ‘B’ in Home Ec? Mnuchin should be ashamed of himself.
Mnuchin later said that “our environmental policies are misunderstood.” He said the president is in support of clean air and clean water and he got out of the Paris Accord because it was bad for the U.S. economy. See his full response below.
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders thinks Greta’s assessment on ridding the world of fossil fuels is solid:
Mnuchin's economics experience? Being called the "Foreclosure King" for heading a bank that kicked 50,000 families out of their homes.
Keep going, Greta. Scientists tell us we must transform our economy to save the planet. Economists say we'll create millions of jobs doing so. https://t.co/dkWOJadekP
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) January 23, 2020
That was backed up by economist Paul Krugman, who predicted the economic meltdown that didn’t happen after Trump was elected:
The man who predicted that the Trump tax cut would pay for itself says Greta Thunberg needs lessons in economics 1/ https://t.co/me4dhgNhzD
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) January 23, 2020
AOC left the Sanders camp for a minute to record a response with presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren:
Since Steve Mnuchin thinks Greta Thunberg needs to study economics, here's that time AOC and Elizabeth Warren taught him a lesson about his economic failings. He's acting like a bully now, but he wasn't so tough when they called him out. pic.twitter.com/vzsZQliA5s
— Adam Best (@adamcbest) January 23, 2020
Donald Trump Jr. suggested Greta take her message to places where it might count for something:
Rather than try to pretend she knows something about economics she could further her cause much more by going to places like China and India and make the do something about their pollution.
Why wont she go directly to the worst offenders? https://t.co/RHmkjEWD37
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 23, 2020
Buck Sexton suggested that warning labels were created for people who acted scandalized at Mnuchin’s suggestion:
Seeing comments from fully grown adults who think Mnuchin is in no position to criticize Greta’s economics knowledge-
These people are why commercials have *do not try this at home* disclaimers and airlines have to show everyone how to put on a seatbelt
— Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) January 23, 2020
This producer couldn’t resist lying about what Mnuchin said, changing Mnuchin’s words from saying they were a joke to calling Greta a joke:
Steve Mnuchin called Greta Thunberg "a joke", telling her to shut up until "she studies economics in college." He added, "Once she forecloses on thousands of homes, marries a blonde half her age and requisitions government jets for a honeymoon the way I did, then I'll listen" pic.twitter.com/kVPtFnvwD8
— Paul Rudnick (@PaulRudnickNY) January 23, 2020
Greta was at the Davos World Economic Forum with other environmental activists and, naturally, was treated like a rock star.
Mnuchin was asked about his comments later on CNBC:British royal Prince Charles meets climate activist Greta Thunberg https://t.co/uy1loVNuhy pic.twitter.com/DwtEHADIdB
— RAY BAEZ (@raybae689) January 23, 2020
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