Fox News welcomes back guest it vowed to ban over nasty attack on Greta Thunberg

Michael Knowles called climate activist ‘a mentally ill Swedish child’, but has appeared back on the network to promote his new book

Political commentator Michael Knowles has been welcomed back to Fox News after calling environmentalist Greta Thunberg a “mentally ill Swedish child”, despite the network previously saying it had “no plans” to book the guest again.

“The comment made by Michael Knowles who was a guest on The Story tonight was disgraceful. We apologise to Greta Thunberg and to our viewers,” a Fox News spokesperson told the Daily Beast at the time, following the original segment in 2019.

Discussing the climate crisis on Fox News in 2019, Mr Knowles said in an interview with The Story: “If it were about science it would be led by scientists rather than by politicians and a mentally ill Swedish child who is being exploited by her parents and by the international left.”

His comments prompted widespread criticism, both on and off air.

“You’re a grown man and you are attacking a child, shame on you,” Democratic commentator Christopher Hahn responded during the show.

Following the backlash, a Fox News spokesperson told reporter Jeremy Barr it had “no plans” to book Knowles again.

However, Mr Knowles appeared back on Fox News in conversation with Tucker Carlson on Wednesday to discuss Donald Trump’s legal fight against Big Tech and to promote his new book.

The channel has come under fire before for its personal criticisms of Ms Thunberg; host Laura Ingraham once called Thunberg “chilling” and compared her actions to 1984 horror Children of the Corn.

“I can’t wait for Stephen King’s sequel, Children of the Climate,” said the host on her show The Ingraham Angle.

Ms Ingraham’s brother, Curtis, posted on Twitter at the time: “Clearly my sister’s paycheck is more important than the world her three adopted kids will inherit. I can no longer apologise for a sibling who I no longer recognise. I can and will continue to call out the monstrous behaviour and the bully commentary born out of anger.”

The Independent has contacted Fox News for comment on their recent guest Michael Knowles.