Democrats who refuse to jump on the Green New Deal bandwagon might find themselves trending on social media — and not in a good way — thanks to the Sunrise Movement.

That’s what happened Friday to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat, after she met with a group of children, teens and activists asking her to endorse the sweeping Green New Deal resolution sponsored by Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Edward Markey.

Ms. Feinstein said she could not support the measure, shared a draft her own Green New Deal resolution, which she plans to introduce soon, and pushed back when the youngsters insisted that the Ocasio-Cortez version was the only way to go.

“You know what’s interesting about this group is that I’ve been doing this for 30 years,” said Ms. Feinstein as shown on video. “I know what I’m doing. You come in here and you say, ‘It has to be my way or the highway.’ I don’t respond to that.”

The Sunrise Movement responded by posting a two-minute clip with excerpts of Ms. Feinstein at her most combative, tweeting, “This is how @SenFeinstein reacted to children asking her to support the #GreenNewDeal resolution—with smugness + disrespect.”

A series of lengthier clips posted by Mediaite’s Tommy Christopher cast the encounter in a different light, showing that she discussed the merits of the Green New Deal with the kids and even agreed to give one of the teens an internship.

Still, the initial clip showcasing a few of Ms. Feinstein’s tart responses quickly went viral on social media, prompting blasts from the left.

Ben Rhodes, President Barack Obama’s Deputy National Security Advisor, scolded the senator, saying that, “Elected representatives should work on behalf of the next generation, not disparage them,” while Justice Democrats spokesman Waleed Shahid accused her of “disparaging literal children.”

Meanwhile, conservatives applauded the senator. “WTF I love Dianne Feinstein now,” tweeted conservative pundit Ben Shapiro. Fox News host Jedediah Bila accused the activists of using the kids as “props for the adults standing behind them.”

Elected representatives should work on behalf of the next generation, not disparage them, especially on an issue that is going to have much more profound consequences for young people. https://t.co/9JZMYCtVyH — Ben Rhodes (@brhodes) February 23, 2019

There’s an edited version of this video floating around. Here’s the unedited version. https://t.co/mXfUzDVW7N — Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) February 23, 2019

Watching the hard Left go after Dianne Feinstein for speaking basic truth about the Green New Deal like pic.twitter.com/5z0w7yRp42 — Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 23, 2019

Feinstein’s attitude got all the headlines. What should’ve gotten the headlines is the way these kids were being used as political props by the adults standing beside them. Happens in schools all the time, have witnessed it first-hand on too many occasions. https://t.co/rXQRaT4lmr — Jedediah Bila (@JedediahBila) February 23, 2019

The Ocasio-Cortez non-binding Green New Deal resolution unveiled Feb. 7 calls for achieving zero-net greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, a goal ripped by Republicans and moderates as unrealistic but embraced by progressives as the only way to save the planet.

In the longer clips, Ms. Feinstein explained to the group that the Senate would not pass the more extreme version.

“I will give you a copy of what we do support and you can take a look at it, and if you’ve got a problem with it, you can let me know,” Ms. Feinstein said. “But I think it has a much better chance of passing than what this is, because there is no way to pay for it.”

The kids countered, “Yes, there is,” and “We have tons of money and it’s going to the military,” and, “But we have come to a point where the earth is dying, literally.”

Said Ms. Feinstein: “That resolution will not pass the Senate.”

An activist told her, “Any plan that doesn’t take bold transformative action is not going to be what we need,” prompting Ms. Feinstein to retort, “Well, you know better than I do, so I think one day you should run for the Senate. And then you do it your way.”

First elected in 1992, the senator added that she had just been won reelection “by almost a million-vote plurality, and I know what I’m doing.”

Later, Ms. Feinstein issued a statement saying that she had a “spirited discussion” with the group and that “I have been and remain committed to doing everything I can to enact real, meaningful climate change legislation.”

“Unfortunately, it was a brief meeting but I want the children to know that they were heard loud and clear,” she said.

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