Video of Activist Confronting Biden Admin Viewed Over 4 Million Times

A video of a climate change activist confronting White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has been viewed over 4 million times on Twitter.

Elise Joshi, executive director of Gen Z for Change, stood up in the middle of Jean-Pierre's remarks interrupted at the Voters of Tomorrow's summit on Thursday, interrupting the press secretary to confront the Biden administration over its climate policy.

"Excuse me for interrupting, but asking nicely hasn't worked out. A million young people wrote to the administration pleading not to approve a disastrous oil-drilling project in Alaska, and we were ignored," Joshi said. "So I'm here channeling the strength of my ancestors and generation. Will the administration stop approving new oil and gas projects and align with youth, science and front-line communities from the north slope of Alaska to Louisiana?"

Audience members were heard snapping in support of Joshi while she spoke and at one point, she was approached by an organizer who appeared to ask her to sit down.

In response to Joshi's interruption, Jean-Pierre told the 21-year-old activist that she appreciated her courage to make her question heard, which received applause from the audience, and recalled President Joe Biden's actions on climate change while noting there was still more work to be done.

"I'm happy to have this conversation with you outside of this speaking event at this time, but we can talk through all that [Biden] has done and all he wants to continue to do, and we can also listen to you and listen to what you have brought forward right now," Jean-Pierre told Joshi.

Asked about the interaction, a White House official told Newsweek, "President Biden is fighting for young Americans on all fronts—climate, gun safety, student debt relief and so much more."

The official highlighted the president's efforts to conserve land and water, including locations like Spirit Mountain in Nevada and the Arctic Ocean, the climate protections included in the Inflation Reduction Act and his decision to have the U.S. rejoin the Paris climate accord.

"President Biden will keep tackling this crisis with the urgency it demands and keep preventing Republican officials from taking us backwards," the official said.

Newsweek reached out to Gen Z for Change via email for comment. Gen Z for Change describes itself as "a collective of Gen-Z activists that leverage the power of social media to drive progressive change."

Joshi, a recent graduate of the University of California, Berkley, is also known for her social media presence on Tik Tok, where she often talks about the climate crisis and climate solutions to her 134.6K followers. She helped spearhead the viral #StopWillow movement on the platform, which called on the Biden administration not to approve of the multibillion-dollar drilling project known as the ConocoPhillips Willow Project in Alaska.

Despite social media activism efforts, letters written to the White House and multiple online petitions, the Biden administration approved the project on March 13.

Joshi's decision to confront the Biden administration was praised by other progressive groups and lawmakers, as well as one of Biden's own Democratic challengers.

"Saying what needs to be said," self-help author Marianne Williamson, who is running against Biden for the Democratic Party's 2024 nomination, tweeted in response to the video.

Freshman Congressman Maxwell Frost of Florida, who is the first Gen Z member of Congress, retweeted the video of Joshi, calling her a "patriot" and writing, "Speaking truth to power isn't easy. When you understand the stakes, the courage sometimes comes from our ancestors.

"Many things can be true. The President has made historic investments in combatting the climate crisis. However, to save humanity, we must do so much more," Frost tweeted. "We are running out of time. We can't afford to approve projects that will increase emissions. Every move should bring us to net zero. Our humanity depends on it."

"@EliseJoshi is a patriot. Fighting with the anger & love of a generation. That's something to be proud of," he added. "I'm inspired by it. I join the movement in asking the President to declare a Climate Emergency."

Joshi also received support from the Sunrise Movement, the youth climate change movement that rose to national prominence during the 2018 midterm elections, when activists worked to oust candidates who would not refuse funding from the fossil fuel industry while working to elect those who supported renewable energy.

The group's Twitter account wrote to Biden, "Listen to young people. Declare a climate emergency."

Update 7/31/23, 9:17 a.m. ET: This story was updated with comments from a White House official.