CNN has tapped teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg to join its panel of experts for coronavirus pandemic town hall Thursday night.
The 17-year-old Swedish girl will join hosts Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta for “Coronavirus Facts and Fears,” which also includes former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Richard Besser and former Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
CNN’s decision was widely ridiculed on social media where critics wondered what qualified a teenager to speak about the ongoing pandemic. A couple of skeptics even tweeted to CNN that they thought a graphic advertising Thurnberg’s inclusion was a gag.
Political science expert and Eurasia Group founder Ian Bremmer was baffled.
“Greta Thunberg is appearing on a CNN Townhall on Climate Ch…No, it’s on Coronavirus,” he tweeted. “Okay, now I’m confused.”
New York magazine contributor Yashar Ali asked “What place does Greta Thunberg have in this town hall?”
Others blasted the 24-hour cable channel for giving a platform to a kid with little scientific background.
Those in favor of Thunburg being on the panel felt she could connect with other young people.
Donald Trump about the participation of Tunberg
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.
Just wow so impressive. https://t.co/398T4wXDry— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 13, 2020
