Naomi Seibt

Seibt was born on 18 August 2000 in Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia.{{Cite web|date=12 March 2020|title=No Evidence 'Global Warming' Was Rebranded as 'Climate Change'|url=https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/03/12/no-evidence-global-warming-was-rebranded-as-climate-change/|access-date=20 February 2021|website=Snopes.com|publisher=The Conversation|language=en-US}} In a 19 February 2020 interview with Die Weltwoche, she stated that she became interested in politics when she started to attend political events with her mother in 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://www.weltwoche.ch/ausgaben/2020-8/ausland/naomis-welt-die-weltwoche-ausgabe-8-2020.html|date=19 February 2020 |first=Roman |last=Zeller|work=Die Weltwoche| title = Naomis Welt (Naomi's World)| access-date = 28 February 2020}} At the time, she was critical of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. Seibt lives in Münster with her sister and their mother, a lawyer who has represented politicians associated with the far right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). In September 2017, Seibt graduated from Bischöfliches Gymnasium St. Mauritz, Münster, a Catholic high school. She achieved a first place in physics in local regional competition of the Jugend forscht junior division, called "Students Experiment", and second place in mathematics.{{cite web|title=Gymnasium St. Mauritz: Erfolgreiche Jung-Forscher St. Mauritz High School: Successful young researchers|periodical=Westfälische Nachrichten|publisher=|url=https://www.wn.de/Muenster/Stadtteile/Handorf/2013/02/Handorf-Gymnasium-St.-Mauritz-Erfolgreiche-Jung-Forscher|format=|access-date=|last=|date=26 February 2013|language=|pages=|quote=}}

When Seibt was 16, her poem on nationalism, "Sometimes I Keep Silent", was published on David Berger's anti-Islamisation blog Philosophia Perennis, as part of an AfD competition.{{Cite web|url=https://correctiv.org/faktencheck/hintergrund/2020/02/21/gesucht-influencerin-jung-rechts/ |first= Alice |last=Echtermann|title=Wanted: influencer, young, right (translated from German)|date=21 February 2020|website=correctiv.org|language=de-DE|access-date=28 February 2020}} Since May 2019, she has recorded YouTube videos, using her mobile phone, on topics ranging from migration to feminism to climate change,{{cite news|last1=Butler|first1=Desmond|last2=Eilperin|first2=Juliet|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/02/23/meet-anti-greta-young-youtuber-campaigning-against-climate-alarmism/|title=The anti-Greta: A conservative think tank takes on the global phenomenon|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=23 February 2020|access-date=30 June 2020}} in which she calls herself a "climate realist".{{Cite web|url=https://www.insider.com/conservative-hires-youtuber-naomi-seibt-challenge-greta-thunberg-climate-crisis-2020-2|title=A conservative group with a history of 'climate change denial' has hired a German YouTuber to challenge Greta Thunberg's 'climate crisis'|last=Cachero|first=Paulina|date=24 February 2020|website=Insider|access-date=26 February 2020}} On 4 November 2019, the Süddeutsche Zeitung, one of Germany's largest daily newspapers, spoke of her appearance at the end of the European Institute for Climate and Energy's ({{ill|Europäisches Institut für Klima und Energie|de}}, EIKE) annual "International Climate and Energy Conference" held in Munich on 2 November, saying, "They have their own Greta. A climate change denier Greta." In her speech, Seibt said that before she started questioning a lot of things, like feminism and "cultural socialism", she too was a "climate alarmist".{{citation |date=4 November 2019 |access-date=28 February 2020 |title=Deniers of climate change: Doubt beyond doubt |url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/leugner-des-klimawandels-zweifelsfreie-zweifel-1.4695188 |first=Von Philipp |last=Bovermann |newspaper=Süddeutsche}}

On 3 December 2019, Seibt spoke as an invited guest at the Madrid "Climate Reality Forum", a forum organized to rebut the United Nations' climate change warnings, while Greta Thunberg spoke at the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) several miles away.{{citation |url=https://climaterealityforum.com/|title=Climate Reality Forum |location=Madrid|date=3 December 2019 |access-date=28 February 2020}} In 2019, Germany's AfD had embraced climate change denial as part of their political campaign in Europe, and were therefore also aligned with EIKE.{{Cite news| title = Germany's AfD embraces climate change denial as part of EU campaign| access-date = 28 February 2020| date = 20 May 2019 |work=The Local| url = https://www.thelocal.de/20190520/germanys-afd-embraces-climate-change-denial-as-part-of-eu-campaign}} She was the only woman invited to speak at an event that is "traditionally dominated by older men".{{Cite web|url=https://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/natur/klima-us-thinktanks-wollen-weltklimaabkommen-torpedieren-a-1301744.html|title=Right-wing US think tanks want to torpedo climate protection: the destroyers from overseas|last1=Götze|first1=Susanne|last2=Joeres|first2=Annika|date=18 December 2019|language=de|access-date=24 February 2020|newspaper=Der Spiegel}} Seibt has previously spoken at the Heartland Institute,{{Cite news| last = Fisher| first = Anthony L.| title = 'The anti-Greta' climate activist Naomi Seibt says she's 'absolutely' a fan of far-right podcaster Stefan Molyneux| work = Business Insider Australia| access-date = 28 February 2020 |date=28 February 2020| url = https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-greta-climate-activist-naomi-seibt-fan-stefan-molyneux-cpac-2020-2}} as well as at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland, Seibt spoke to about a hundred conservatives.{{Cite news| title = Anti-Greta Blasts 'Climate Alarmism' to Conservative Gathering| work = Bloomberg.com| last=Mathias | first=Christopher |access-date = 28 February 2020 |date=28 February 2020| url = https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-28/anti-greta-blasts-climate-alarmism-to-conservative-gathering}} Seibt has denied allegations that she is a "puppet of the right wing or the climate deniers or the Heartland Institute".

On 28 February 2020, an article in The Guardian stated that Seibt was inspired by the Canadian alt-right, white nationalist, and conspiracy theorist Stefan Molyneux after being introduced to his blogs.{{Cite news|last1=Kirchgaessner|first1=Stephanie|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/28/naomi-seibt-anti-greta-activist-white-nationalist-inspiration|title=Naomi Seibt: 'anti-Greta' activist called white nationalist an inspiration|date=28 February 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=28 February 2020|last2=Holden|first2=Emily|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}} She has been accused of both antisemitism and white nationalism due to her support for some on the alt-right. Seibt refused to comment; her mother denied that her daughter supports far-right politics. In April 2020, Seibt said her formal work with The Heartland Institute had come to an end. She said that it was her decision not to renew a contract, and it was made because the {{ill|Landesanstalt für Medien Nordrhein-Westfalen|lt=Landesanstalt für Medien NRW|de|Landesanstalt für Medien Nordrhein-Westfalen}} threatened to delete her YouTube channel on the grounds that she wants to influence German politics for an American think-tank.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB4JIcB9ztY?t=107 |language=de-DE|access-date=29 April 2020 |work=YouTube |title=Globale Politik - Deutsch oder international? |date=24 April 2020 |author=Naomi Seibt}}

In May 2020, she endorsed QAnon, a far-right conspiracy theory alleging that Donald Trump is fighting a satanic network of paedophiles drawn from liberal elites. Recent analysis shows that Seibt’s Twitter following surged after she repeatedly referenced QAnon.{{Cite web |last=Deaton |first=Jeremy |date=2020-09-24 |title=Climate Deniers Are Embracing QAnon |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/climate-change-denial-qanon |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=Teen Vogue |language=en-US}}

In November 2020, Seibt falsely claimed that COVID-19 had not yet been isolated and the PCR testing procedure (to detect the presence of the virus) was unreliable; she falsely claimed it was only based on a computer model of the virus genome.{{Cite web|date=5 November 2020|title=Covid-19 und PCR: Naomi Seibt verbreitet irreführende Behauptungen|url=https://correctiv.org/faktencheck/2020/11/05/rechte-youtuberin-verbreitet-irrefuehrende-behauptungen-zu-coronavirus-und-pcr-tests/|access-date=16 September 2021|website=correctiv.org|language=de-DE |last1=Thust |first1=Sarah }} In October 2021, she claimed in an interview with SVT that young climate activists do not have enough knowledge on climate issues to be public speakers about the issue and that they have been scared into being exploited by those in power.{{Cite news|last1=Horvatovic|first1=Iva|last2=Carlsson|first2=Malin|date=16 October 2021|title="Anti-Greta": Att hungerstrejka är att utpressa politiker|language=sv|work=SVT Nyheter|url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/utrikes/utrikesbyran-do-for-klimatet-anti-greta-att-hungerstrejka-ar-att-utpressa-politiker|access-date=31 October 2021}}

As of 2025, Seibt has been widely described as far-right.Multiple sources:

• {{Cite web |last=Prater |first=Nia |date=2024-12-20 |title=Musk Pauses Torment of GOP to Praise German Extremists |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/elon-musk-praises-afd-germany.html |access-date=2024-12-30 |website=Intelligencer |language=en}}
• {{Cite web |last=Kolodny |first=Lora |date=2024-12-20 |title=Elon Musk endorses far-right Alternative for Germany party in upcoming election |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/20/elon-musk-endorses-far-right-alternative-for-germany-party-in-election.html |access-date=2024-12-30 |website=CNBC |language=en}}
• {{Cite web |last=Gold |first=Hadas |date=2024-12-20 |title=Elon Musk endorses far-right German political party, wading deeper into global politics |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/20/media/elon-musk-afd-germany-politics-far-right/index.html |access-date=2024-12-30 |website=CNN |language=en}}
• {{Cite book |title=Gender and German colonialism: intimacies, accountabilities, intersections |date=2024 |publisher=Routledge Taylor & Francis Group |isbn=978-1-003-37899-0 |editor-last=Zhang |editor-first=Chunjie |series=Routledge research in gender and history |location=New York London |editor-last2=Krimmer |editor-first2=Elisabeth}}
• {{Citation |last=Hartung |first=Catherine |title=The Kids are Alt-right (and Progressive, Conservative, Radical, etc.): 'Selective Advocacy' in Childhood and Youth Studies |date=2023-01-01 |work=Childhood, Youth and Activism: Demands for Rights and Justice from Young People and their Advocates |volume=33 |pages=209–225 |editor-last=Wright |editor-first=Katie |url=https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/s1537-46612023012/full/html |access-date=2024-12-30 |series=Sociological Studies of Children and Youth |publisher=Emerald Publishing Limited |doi=10.1108/s1537-46612023012 |isbn=978-1-80117-469-5 |editor2-last=McLeod |editor2-first=Julie|url-access=subscription }}
• {{Cite journal |title=Radical Mobilization in Times of Crisis: Use and Effects of Appeals and Populist Communication Features in Telegram Channels |journal=Social Media + Society |date=2023 |language=en |doi=10.1177/20563051231186372 |last1=Jost |first1=Pablo |last2=Dogruel |first2=Leyla |volume=9 |issue=3 |doi-access=free }}
• {{Cite web |last=WDR |date=2024-12-29 |title=Kritik an Elon Musks Werbung für die AfD: Was treibt den Multimilliardär an? |url=https://www1.wdr.de/nachrichten/elon-musk-wahlwerbung-afd-welt-100.html |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=www1.wdr.de |language=de}}
• {{Cite news |title="Klingt das nach Hitler? Ich bitte Sie!" : Musk ruft in Springer-Zeitung zur AfD-Wahl auf – Chefredaktion rechtfertigt kontroversen Beitrag |url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/klingt-das-nach-hitler-ich-bitte-sie-elon-musk-ruft-in-springer-zeitung-zur-afd-wahl-auf-12935656.html |access-date=2025-01-02 |work=Der Tagesspiegel Online |language=de-DE |issn=1865-2263}} She is affiliated with,{{Cite web |title=Elon Musk insults German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier – DW – 12/31/2024 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/elon-musk-insults-german-president-frank-walter-steinmeier/a-71191756 |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=dw.com |language=en}} and openly endorses, the far-right party AfD.{{Cite news |last=Fiedler |first=Maria |date=2024-12-31 |title=(S+) Elon Musk: Politikberater nennt ihn wertvollsten Wahlkampfhelfer für die AfD |url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/elon-musk-politikberater-nennt-ihn-wertvollsten-wahlkampfhelfer-fuer-die-afd-a-a32a7541-95ac-4927-9521-08ad32dfc763 |access-date=2025-01-02 |work=Der Spiegel |language=de |issn=2195-1349}} In 2020, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung described Seibt as a "right-wing Youtuber" who "attacks climate science in her videos".{{cite news |first=Carole |last=Koch |title=Die Anti-Greta: Naomi Seibt ist der Jungstar der internationalen Klimaleugnerszene (Anti-Greta: Naomi Seibt is the young star of the international climate denial scene)|newspaper=Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) |date=8 February 2020 |access-date=28 February 2020 |url=https://nzzas.nzz.ch/hintergrund/die-anti-greta-naomi-seibt-ist-der-jungstar-der-globalen-klimaleugnerszene-ld.1539361}} The Guardian described her as a "so-called 'YouTube influencer' who tells her followers that Thunberg and other activists are whipping up unnecessary hysteria by exaggerating the climate crisis".The Washington Post reported that compared to Greta Thunberg's millions of followers on social media, Seibt had about 50,000 YouTube subscribers as of 23 February 2020; her following as of late May 2020 was about 86,700. See {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeYSlCaX1PheCaqxN7u2klw|title=Naomi Seibt|website=YouTube|date=May 2020|access-date=10 June 2024}} Seibt self-identifies as libertarian.

Seibt was previously a paid conservative blogger and was promoted as "Anti-Greta", in response to Greta Thunberg, aligning herself with AfD.[https://www.wn.de/Muenster/4088460-AfD-Neujahrsempfang-am-7.-Februar-Meuthen-kommt-das-Buendnis-auch Meuthen kommt - das Bündnis auch] auf www.wn.de, retrieved 26 February 2020. This image was further propagated in 2019 by the Heartland Institute, who compared her to Thunberg in promotional anti-climate change campaigns.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq4fJdjt_vM|title=Naomi Seibt vs. Greta Thunberg: Whom Should We Trust?|date=20 December 2019|work=Heartland Institute|via=YouTube|access-date=10 June 2024}} In a 2020 interview with The Washington Post, Graham Brookie, the director of the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, commented on Seibt's approach to Thunberg's message on climate, in which she counters Thunberg's "I want you to panic" by saying in a video posted on Heartland's website that "I don't want you to panic. I want you to think". Brookie said in an email: "While it is not outright disinformation, ... it does bear resemblance to a model we use called the 4d's — dismiss the message, distort the facts, distract the audience, and express dismay at the whole thing. The tactic is intended to create an equivalency in spokespeople and message. In this case, it is a false equivalency between a message based in climate science that went viral organically and a message based in climate skepticism trying to catch up using paid promotion."

Seibt's influence was turbo-boosted{{Cite web |date=2025-01-12 |title=BBC World Service - Weekend, Naomi Seibt on AfD and Elon Musk |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0kj5zk9 |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |date=2025-02-22 |title=Elon Musk wants far right AfD to win the German election - here's how he's doing it |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/elon-musk-afd-germany-election-b2702851.html |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=The Independent |language=en}} in 2024 by Elon Musk reposting her videos on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Musk re-tweeted a Seibt video calling on CDU leader Friedrich Merz to ally with the AfD instead of a German centre-left party like the Greens, with Musk saying "Only the AfD can save Germany."{{Cite news |date=2024-12-20 |title=Elon Musk spricht Wahlempfehlung für AfD aus – und verweist auf rechtsextreme Influencerin |url=https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/elon-musk-spricht-wahlempfehlung-fuer-afd-aus-und-verweist-auf-rechte-influencerin-a-e102bed8-c13a-4e2f-a9e3-1a4b37b90506 |access-date=2024-12-21 |work=Der Spiegel |language=de |issn=2195-1349}}{{Cite web |last=Mediengruppe |first=FUNKE |date=2024-12-20 |title=Elon Musk empfiehlt die AfD auf X – Zuspruch von Alice Weidel |url=https://www.morgenpost.de/politik/article407941273/elon-musk-empfiehlt-die-afd-auf-x-zuspruch-von-alice-weidel.html |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=www.morgenpost.de |language=de}} She has also been accused of promoting white nationalist ideas on X by directly engaging with groups such as QAnon, along with related accounts and channels that propagate conspiracy theories.{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Sharon |date=2020-08-27 |title=As QAnon Conspiracy Spreads on the Far Right, Climate Science Deniers Jump Aboard |url=https://www.desmog.com/2020/08/27/qanon-conspiracy-naomi-seibt-climate-science-deniers/ |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=DeSmog |language=en-US}} She has likewise endorsed figures directly associated with white nationalist movements, supporting their views.

She has also been found to spread disinformation on X,{{Cite web |title=Don't stop me now: the growing disinformation threat against climate change |url=https://www.disinfo.eu/publications/dont-stop-me-now-the-growing-disinformation-threat-against-climate-change/ |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=EU DisinfoLab |language=en-US}} including several false claims linked to far-right and white nationalist online groups across multiple platforms, such as Covid-19{{Cite web |last=Khoo |first=Michael |date=2021-09-27 |title=A Climate of Disinformation: Haters gonna hate, but social media companies force us to listen {{!}} TechPolicy.Press |url=https://www.techpolicy.press/a-climate-of-disinformation-haters-gonna-hate-but-social-media-companies-force-us-to-listen/ |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=Tech Policy Press |language=en}} and climate-related content.{{Cite journal |last1=Doss |first1=Christopher |last2=Mondschein |first2=Jared |last3=Shu |first3=Dule |last4=Wolfson |first4=Tal |last5=Kopecky |first5=Denise |last6=Fitton-Kane |first6=Valerie A. |last7=Bush |first7=Lance |last8=Tucker |first8=Conrad |date=2023-08-18 |title=Deepfakes and scientific knowledge dissemination |journal=Scientific Reports |language=en |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=13429 |doi=10.1038/s41598-023-39944-3 |pmid=37596384 |pmc=10439167 |bibcode=2023NatSR..1313429D |issn=2045-2322}} A number of academic and journalistic publications have emphasised the links in her ideological beliefs between climate change denialism,{{Cite web |last=Hyman |first=Elliott |date=2020-03-22 |title=The Climate Change Gap has Major Implications for Policy Outcomes |url=https://harvardpolitics.com/climate-change-gap/ |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=Harvard Political Review |language=en-US}} white nationalism,{{Cite web |title=Naomi Seibt |url=https://www.desmog.com/naomi-seibt/ |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=DeSmog |language=en-US}} and culture wars (including Islamophobia). In 2020, she was also found to be promoting disinformation,{{Cite web |title=Don't stop me now: the growing disinformation threat against climate change |url=https://www.disinfo.eu/publications/dont-stop-me-now-the-growing-disinformation-threat-against-climate-change/ |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=EU DisinfoLab |language=en-US}} and acknowledging far-right conspiracy theories propagated by groups related to QAnon.

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Category:2000 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century German women

Category:Anarcho-capitalists

Category:COVID-19 conspiracy theorists

Category:German anti-vaccination activists

Category:German conspiracy theorists

Category:German YouTubers

Category:German autistic people

Category:People from Münster

Category:Youth activists

Category:Far-right politics in Germany