Jacinda Ardern took office as New Zealand’s Prime Minister on October 26, becoming the youngest female head of government in the world at 37 years old. Ardern, who was selected as Leader of the Labour Party in August, amassed a major following among young people and the wider electorate that The New York Times called “Jacindamania.” This week, the phenomenon is back in full force after Ardern made a pointed quip at Donald Trump during the East Asia Summit.
Ardern and Trump had spoken on the phone before, The Guardian reported, but the two met in person for the first time in Vietnam.
“I was waiting to walk out to be introduced at the East Asia Summit gala dinner, where we all paraded and while we were waiting, Trump in jest patted the person next to him on the shoulder, pointed at me and said, ‘This lady caused a lot of upset in her country,’ talking about the election,” Ardern told Newsroom. “I said, ‘Well, you know, only maybe 40 percent,’ then he said it again and I said, ‘You know,’ laughing, ‘no one marched when I was elected.’”
The comment, of course, is a reference to the post-inauguration Women’s March, which spanned all seven continents and became the largest coordinated protest in U.S. history. Ardern herself marched in Auckland.
Though Ardern said Trump “did not seem offended,” the comment has gone viral on Twitter and received praise from many New Zealanders and Americans alike.
When asked about Trump in an interview with The New Zealand Herald, Ardern said, “He is consistent. He is the same person that you see behind the scenes as he is in the public or through the media. I think being consistent — there is something in that.”
Top photo: Jacinda Ardem, via Wikimedia Commons
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