Conservative commentator Ann Coulter has deleted a social media post mocking Tim Walz’s son after an onslaught of criticism.
Gus Walz briefly stole the show on Wednesday night, during his father’s speech to accept the party’s vice presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention. The 17-year-old was filmed in the family box, crying with pride and calling out, “That’s my dad.”
On Thursday morning, Coulter shared a news article about the teenager’s emotional reaction which included a photo of him.
“Talk about weird…” Coulter wrote above the news article.
The backlash against the firebrand commentator was swift and ferocious. A number of people noted that Gwen and Tim Walz had told People magazine this week that Gus has a non-verbal learning disorder, ADHD, and an anxiety disorder. The parents described the conditions are their son’s “secret power.”
“When our youngest Gus was growing up, it became increasingly clear that he was different from his classmates,” the Walzes told the magazine. “Gus preferred video games and spending more time by himself.”
They added: “When he was becoming a teenager, we learned that Gus has a non-verbal learning disorder in addition to an anxiety disorder and ADHD, conditions that millions of Americans also have.”
Coulter was soon trending on the social media platform, as was Gus, and the phrase: “He’s 17.”
Tommy Vietor, former Obama staffer and podcaster, wrote: “I can see why a child loving their parents would feel foreign to you.”
The founder of the gun safety groups, Moms Demand Action and Everytown, Shannon Watts, wrote on X: “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.”
Even after Coulter removed her post, the criticism continued.
Former Republican strategist Rick Wilson wrote: “Ann Coulter will die alone, and forensic pathologist will discover her withered corpse is nothing but Marlboro reds and box wine.”
Jesuit priest James Martin noted that the hateful comments came from “self-professed Christians.”
“90 percent of the Christian life is: Don’t be mean,” he wrote. “Also, do you think Jesus would mock someone with any kind of disability? Remember your Gospels: these are precisely the people Jesus seeks out.”
Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat also posted: “They learned from the best: Trump, who has long mocked people with disabilities and whose Project 2025 would restrict benefits to disabled veterans.”
The Independent has attempted to contact Coulter for comment.