Jane Fonda was the guest of honour at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on Tuesday, where the Hollywood icon urged political action on climate change.
Fonda, who will turn 82 on Saturday, revealed in her speech that shortly after Donald Trump was elected in 2016 she came up with a plan to land a meeting with America’s 45th president to put climate change on his radar.
“I kind of know men like Trump, not as bad, but you know, I sort of know those inclinations,” she said.
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“And I thought, I’m going to get three or four of the most beautiful, voluptuous, brilliant climate activists — Pamela Anderson is one of them — and a few scientists, and I’m going to make an appointment and we’re all going to see Trump and we’re going to get on our knees,” she added, causing the room to erupt in laughter.
“And we’re going to say to him, President Trump, you can be the hero of the entire world, you can be the most important human being ever to be born, the most better, perfect, wonderful, big, huge, wonderful, if you protect the planet.”
Fonda then called Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who passed her along to his wife Ivanka — referred to by Fonda as the “environmentalist in the family.” According to Fonda, Ivanka’s only response to the plan was to laugh.
In her speech Fonda explained that regardless of whether a Democrat or a Republican wins the next presidential election, environmental activists will “still have to be in the streets holding their feet to the fire.”
She added: “There’s a big advantage of being old, because you can look back and you can see presidents. I’ve seen presidents and when we don’t force the people in office to do what they need to do, terrible things happen.”
Fonda’s speech can be seen in its entirety in the video above, beginning at the 5:20 mark.
