'Chill!': Greta Thunberg hits back at Trump over anger management taunt

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg hit back at President Donald Trump on Twitter on Thursday, telling him to "chill" in a word-to-word repeat of a taunt he addressed to her in December 2019. 

Replying to his tweet "STOP THE COUNT", Thunberg wrote: "So ridiculous, Donald must work on his Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend. Chill Donald, Chill!"

Thunberg's tweet had already garnered 1.3 million likes on Friday.

President Trump penned an identical tweet in December, with Greta's name in place of his own, when Thunberg was named Time's Person of the Year for 2019, mocking the teenager for her impassioned climate activism.

The environmental campaigner responded at the time by updating her Twitter biography, writing: "A teenager working on her anger management problem. Currently chilling and watching a good old-fashioned movie with a friend."

President Trump has launched a tirade of unsubstantiated claims saying that he has been cheated out of winning the US election.

Vote counting across battleground states early on Friday showed Democrat Joe Biden steadily closing in on victory.

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Read more: US networks break from live Trump address due to 'lies'

Trump, who has often played down warnings of climate change, has frequently been dismissive of Thunberg.

"She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future," Trump tweeted earlier in 2019, when Thunberg addressed the United Nations, furiously telling world leaders, "How dare you?"

Thunberg asked US voters to choose Joe Biden in October, saying the outcome of the US presidential election was crucial for fighting climate change.

The 17-year-old founder of the "Fridays for Future" climate protests said on Twitter: "I never engage in party politics. But the upcoming US elections is above and beyond all that.

"From a climate perspective it’s very far from enough and many of you of course supported other candidates," Thunberg acknowledged. 

"But, I mean…you know…damn! Just get organised and get everyone to vote #Biden," she added.

While Trump disparaged Thunberg, Biden on the other hand has reached out to her and hailed her commitment to the fight against climate change.

Read also: What's at stake for the Middle East's autocrats as a Biden victory looms?

In September, Scientific American magazine also urged readers to vote for Biden on November 3, the first time in almost 200 years that it has taken a political stance.

"Think about voting to protect science instead of destroying it," editors said in comments relayed by Thunberg along with her endorsement.