Meghan McCain launched a stinging attack on Greta Thunberg’s appearance by comparing her to a character from the movie Shrek. 

The political commentator left a snarky remark comparing the 22-year-old activist to Lord Farquaad in response to a video Thunber made defending Palestine.

‘I refuse to take anyone talking about politics seriously with uneven bangs and this [expletive] Lord Farquaad hair,’ 40-year-old McCain wrote. The post has since been deleted. Her comments sparked fierce backlash on X, with one critic questioning why she felt the need to resort to such a ‘mean girl comment.’ ‘Surely, you must know what it feels like when someone criticizes your appearance. Do better!’ the critic wrote. ‘I refuse to take anyone talking about politics seriously when they have to use their last name to get them places,’ another added, referring to McCain’s late father, Arizona Senator John McCain. ‘A person’s appearance has zero to do with their integrity or passion about any cause. You should delete this. It’s beneath even you,’ a third chimed in.

Others said it was ‘never okay to talk about the looks of another woman’ even if their views differed. McCain previously made headlines herself in 2020 after an appearance on The View in which she hit out at people for criticizing her own looks. She said: ‘I would like to talk about politics and not have every comment be about the way I look and my weight. It makes you feel weird. Men just don’t have that problem. Everyone talks about how we look on this show all the time. Can’t you just hear what we have to say?’

McCain’s comments come on the back of Thunberg’s efforts to relaunch her Freedom Flotilla in an effort to deliver aid to war-torn Gaza. She will travel from Barcelona alongside Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham and Ada Colau, the former mayor of Barcelona, amongst others. Her first attempt to reach Gaza in June after setting off from Italy was thwarted by Israeli forces, who boarded the vessel in international waters and detained her. She and 11 passengers were taken to Israel, and given the choice to be deported or arrested.

Thunberg has been warned that activists could be detained in harsh ‘terrorist-level’ conditions in the Ktzi’ot and Damon detention centres if they choose to break the siege again. The plan also includes seizing dozens of vessels and using them to establish a ‘maritime force for police operations’. Israel Hayom quoted individuals close to Ben-Gvir saying: ‘Following several weeks at Ktzi’ot and Damon, they’ll be sorry about the time they arrived here. We must eliminate their appetite for another attempt.’

Thunberg said in a promotional video for her latest attempt to reach Gaza: ‘It should not have to be up to us. A mission like this should not have to exist. It is the responsibility of countries, of our governments and elected officials to act to try to uphold international law, to prevent war crimes, to prevent genocide. That is their legal duty to do. And they are failing to do so, thereby betraying Palestinians but also all of humanity.’

Despite the dangers, Thunberg said she was more concerned by the ‘silence of the world’ about what is happening in the region. She added: ‘I’m terrified to see that we seem to have lost all the humanity that we have, and there seems to be no compassion left in the world amongst the vast majority of people who are able to sit on the couch and watch the genocide unfold that I am terrified for.’ Thunberg claimed Israel’s continuation of the blockade was a violation of international law.