The conservative firebrand deleted her post, but that so far hasn’t stemmed the online pile-on.

by Melanie Mason
08/22/2024

The sight of Tim Walz’s 17-year-old son, Gus, weeping with pride Wednesday night during his father’s speech accepting the vice presidential nomination instantly became an iconic feel-good moment of the convention.

That is, until the inevitable turn on social media.

Conservative firebrand Ann Coulter posted an article on X about Gus’ emotional reaction, with a lead photo of the teenager in tears. She captioned it “Talk about weird…"

The online backlash was swift and snarky.

“I can see why a child loving their parents would feel foreign to you,” wrote Tommy Vietor, the Obama staffer-turned-liberal podcaster.

Many commenters pointed out that Coulter’s jab was especially cruel given that his parents told People magazine that their son has a nonverbal learning disorder, ADHD and an anxiety disorder.

“I am neurodivergent. When I was 14, I was diagnosed with ADHD, OCD, and several learning disorders, including dyscalculia,” wrote Shannon Watts, the founder of gun safety groups Moms Demand Action and Everytown. “We’re not weird, we’re wonderful. And we’re your family, friends and fellow Americans.”

Coulter soon became a trending topic on X, as was Gus Walz and the term “He’s 17.” Coulter deleted her post, but that so far hasn’t stemmed the online pile-on.