Ann Coulter’s decision to make fun of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s son backfired on the Republican pundit.
Celebrities, a former White House resident, and many others slammed Coulter for ridiculing Gus Waltz’s emotional reaction to his father at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
Gus Walz, who has a nonverbal learning disorder as well as anxiety and ADHD, stood up and cheered on Tim Walz as the former school teacher accepted the Democratic Party’s vice presidential nomination on Aug. 21 in Chicago.
At one point, Gus yelled “I love you, Dad” and “that’s my dad” while pointing to Gov. Walz who was delivering a speech on the DNC stage. The 17-year-old high school student broke down in tears from the pride he felt about his father.
Ann Coulter shared a link on X to an article about Gus Walz’s teary, viral moment with a caption that read, “Talk about weird…” Those comments by the right-wing firebrand ignited a firestorm online.
People took issue with the 62-year-old conservative cyberbullying a teenager with special needs. Coulter eventually deleted the tweet but the backlash had already spread across the internet.
For example, Holly Robinson Peete called out Ann Coulter on social media. The ex-panelist on “The Talk” daytime show took to X to express her frustration with the Republican attacks against Gus Walz.
“As the mom of a neurodivergent adult son with autism who was mocked and bullied by CHILDREN at school… I need you to say this to my face you poorly raised POS. Not surprised you wouldn’t be able to recognize an authentic moment of real unconditional love,” Robinson Peete directed at Ann Coulter.
The “21 Jump Street” actress also had words for conservative political activist Dinesh D’Souza after the convicted felon joked about Gus Walz having “mental problems” on X. Holly Robinson Peete returned to the platform to add, “Mocking people with special needs is the lowest form of human expression. We autism fams know.”
Holly Robinson married NFL quarterback Rodney Peete in 1995. The couple has four children, including a set of twins, daughter Ryan Elizabeth Peete and son Rodney Peete Jr. born in October 1997. Rodney Jr. was diagnosed with autism at 3 years old.
Gus Walz was born in October 2006. The family found out about his non-verbal learning disorder diagnosis when he reached his teen years. Teenagers with NVLD are characterized as having an average or above average IQ with difficulty comprehending nonverbal information such as body language and facial expressions.
NVLD and autism are both neurodevelopmental disorders. People on the autism spectrum can also have challenges with social skills and nonverbal communication, but NVLD and ASD are categorized as different conditions.
Tim Walz and his wife Gwen Walz spoke to People about learning their son has NVLD, anxiety disorder, and ADHD. They told the outlet, “It took time, but what became so immediately clear to us was that Gus’ condition is not a setback — it’s his secret power.”
In addition to Holly Robinson Pete, the Walzes got backup against internet agitators like Coulter and D’Souza from another high-profile Democrat. Former first lady Michelle Obama defended Gus Walz and took a not-so-veiled swipe at his mockers.
“I was touched to see Gus Walz’s joy when his dad [Tim Walz] took the stage last night. Thankful for you showing us all what real love looks like, Gus. Let’s be a nation that embraces this kind of warmth and vulnerability, instead of making fun or mocking it. We could all use some of Gus’s example in our own lives,” Michelle Obama tweeted on Aug 22.
Gus Walz and Coulter became trending topics on social media following Coulter’s offensive tweet. Non-politicians and non-celebrities had a lot to say about the way Gus was being treated for showing affection for his father.
“It was over for Ann as soon as Gus’s new Black cousins entered the chat! Just bend the knee, Ann!” one Instagram user wrote in response to Holly Robinson Peete condemning Coulter. Someone else commented, “Gus is our nephew now. We ride at dawn.”
Another Pete supporter chimed in, “Okaaaaaay! Holly woke up and chose VIOLENCE today! What time we rolling to her house?” Another Instagram account praised Gus Walz while suggesting his dad’s political party was irrelevant, writing, “Crazy. I thought it was such a beautiful moment. Regardless of the politics.”
On Aug. 6, Vice President Kamala Harris announced Gov. Walz as her vice presidential pick for the 2024 presidential campaign. The Harris-Walz Democratic ticket is running against the Republican ticket of former President Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance in the general election that takes place on Nov. 5.
