Steve Mnuchin Says He Will Listen to Greta Thunberg After She Gets an Economics Degree in College

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin took a shot at teen climate activist Greta Thunberg on Thursday, saying he would heed her advice after she went to college and got an economics degree.

The comments happened during a press conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where some of the world’s most important economic players have gathered this week. Thunberg has been driving a conversation about climate change and sustainability throughout the week, and criticized nations like the United States for doing “basically nothing” to reduce their emissions.

A reporter asked Mnuchin about Thunberg saying there should be a public and private sector divestment from fossil fuel companies responsible for greenhouse gas emissions.

“Is she the chief economist, or who is she? I’m confused,” Mnuchin replied. “It’s a joke. After she goes and studies economics in college she can come back and explain that to us.”

Thunberg wasted no time responding to Mnuchin, taking to Twitter shortly after his comments.

“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,” she tweeted. “So either you tell us how to achieve this mitigation or explain to future generations and those already affected by the climate emergency why we should abandon our climate commitments.”

Thunberg also received some support from U.S. politicians, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). She chimed in to note that she did, in fact, have an economics degree, but people mocked it as being “illegitimate.”

It’s not the first time Thunberg and the Trump administration have had a public back and forth.

Trump has