The image of 17-year-old Gus Walz, overcome with pride as his father, Tim Walz, accepted the vice-presidential nomination, quickly became a heartwarming and iconic moment of the convention. However, the positivity didn’t last long before social media turned the moment on its head. Conservative commentator Ann Coulter posted an article on X (formerly Twitter) featuring a photo of Gus in tears, captioning it, "Talk about weird…"


The backlash online was immediate and fierce. Tommy Vietor, a former Obama staffer turned podcaster, fired back, “I can see why a child loving their parents would feel foreign to you.”


Many criticized Coulter’s remark as particularly heartless, given that Gus’s parents had previously shared with *People* magazine that their son has a nonverbal learning disorder, ADHD, and an anxiety disorder. Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action and Everytown, joined the chorus of criticism, stating, “I am neurodivergent. When I was 14, I was diagnosed with ADHD, OCD, and several learning disorders, including dyscalculia. We’re not weird, we’re wonderful. And we’re your family, friends, and fellow Americans.”


Coulter quickly became a trending topic on X, along with Gus Walz and the phrase “He’s 17.” Although Coulter deleted her post, the online backlash continued to gain momentum.