Hillary Clinton praises Greta Thunberg, claims "grown male leaders are scared" of her

If you thought you were climate activist Greta Thunberg's biggest fan, think again. Former Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton might have just beat you to it. While at an event for her book launch in London with daughter Chelsea Clinton, she was definitely full of praise for the young activist, The Evening Standard reports. Clinton explained that she was fascinated by Thunberg's grit, energy, and passion. For these qualities, Thunberg was included in the book the mother-daughter duo is releasing, The Book Of Gutsy Women: Favourite Stories Of Courage And Resilience.

"I thought we’ll put her in the book because we had read about her lonely, solitary climate strike in front of the Swedish parliament and we were so moved by it," Clinton explained. "It’s been fascinating to watch how scared a lot of grown male leaders are of this young 16-year-old girl." The former US Secretary of State was referring to the fact that both eminent male politicians (including none other than President Donald Trump, of course), as well as other men, have lashed out at the teenage activist. Adding to this, Clinton stated that Thunberg, as a headstrong and vocal young woman, is “rattling” the “ancient DNA” that still exists in society simply through speaking up.

She said, "It is maddening to think how much that still operates... You could probably take some of the people who have been so critical of her on social media and in other settings, attach them to a lie detector and say, ‘Don’t you think that’s a bit sexist?’ And they’d say, ‘Of course not’, and they might even pass because they’re so enthralled to the idea that whatever she’s saying before we even get to the merits of it, has to be discredited because she should not be saying it." There is no doubt that Thunberg's age and gender play major roles in affecting many male leaders' perception of the ideas she has. Clinton's daughter Chelsea added, "In our country, there are a lot of people who are attacking her because they can’t attack the data, they can’t attack the science."

Thunberg is one of the many phenomenal women featured in the Clintons' latest book. She is joined by more than 100 women who were or are pioneers in their own right. Some of the other women include sporting pioneers such as Billie Jean King and historical figures such as Florence Nightingale. Politicians, civil rights campaigners, and suffragettes are also featured.