Mnuchin jabs Greta Thunberg at Davos: "Is she the chief economist?"

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin took aim Thursday at teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg during a press conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, questioning if she is even qualified to talk about economic challenges, Bloomberg reports.

"Is she the chief economist? Who is she? I'm confused ... After she goes and studies economics in college, she can come back and explain that to us."

• Mnnuchin clarified that he only meant his comments as a joke, per the New York Times.

The big picture: Thunberg, who was also in Davos, called out government officials on the issue of climate change earlier in the week, saying, "I wonder what will you tell your children was the reason to fail and leave them facing the climate chaos you knowingly brought them?"

Flashback: President Trump and Thunberg have previously sparred, most notably over Time's decision to name Thunberg as its 2019 Person of the Year.

• Trump used a speech at Davos earlier in the week to refer to climate change activists as the "heirs of yesterday’s foolish fortune tellers."

Go deeper:

• Greta Thunberg: "I wouldn't have wasted my time" meeting with Trump
• Trump calls Time's decision to name Greta Thunberg as Person of the Year "so ridiculous"