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Schwarzenegger admitted to being "starstruck" when he met Thunberg in Austria earlier this year, and pledged to do whatever he could to help Thunberg even offering to lend her his electric Hummer during her visit to the United States. Thunberg has famously eschewed air travel as a mode of transportation, instead opting to make the journey across the Atlantic to the United Nations Climate Action Summit via boat.
Excited to kick off our @R20_AWS in Vienna. I have to admit I was starstruck when I met @gretathunberg . Tune in tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/b0c5FtmZDq Arnold (@Schwarzenegger)
That initial offer ended up being slightly impractical; a spokesperson for Schwarzenegger has said "getting his electric Hummer across the country would be quite a challenge so it isn't his personal car." So instead, Schwarzenegger arranged for Thunberg to have a Tesla Model 3 at her disposal as she made her way from the United States to a climate rally in Montreal, ensuring that she could get around in as environmentally friendly a way as possible.
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While Thunberg has faced fierce opposition from the president and conservative media, with some pundits mocking both her young age and her Asperger syndome, she has also drawn widespread support and not just from Arnie. Around 315,000 people showed up to the climate strike in Montreal on Friday, proving that she is not alone in her mission.
"It is very moving to see everyone, everyone who is so passionate to march and strike," Thunberg told reporters. "It is a very good day, I would say."