Anne Funder, whose 15-year-old son died of an accidental fentanyl overdose, gave a moving and tear-filled speech about the dangers of the deadly drug, prompting a response from Trump.
The California mother spoke about how her son, Weston, was an amazing older brother to his three younger siblings and that he enjoyed football, surfing and hockey.
She tearfully described how he was a bright and energetic young teenager blossoming into a responsible young man.
Funder said she warned him of the dangers posed by drugs and told him to stay away.
But tragically, after taking a dose of something thought not to be the deadly synthetic drug, her son passed away.
She then blamed his death on Democrats – receiving massive applause from an emotional crowd.
Anne Fundner, a mother whose 15-year-old son died after ingesting fentanyl-laced pills, gave a moving speech Tuesday night, seeming to prompt a response from Donald Trump
‘I hold Joe Biden, Kamala Harris – the border czar, what a joke – Gavin Newsom and every Democrat who supports open borders responsible for the death of my son,’ she told the crowd at the RNC.
Her pointedly laying the blame for her son’s death on the Democrats was popular with the crowd, which seemed on the edge of their seats listening to Funder.
‘Like most teenagers, Weston wanted to fit in. And in a moment of peer pressure, he tried something that someone gave to him and it took my baby’s life.’
‘We did everything right. I had those conversations with him and fentanyl still found my son. And on February 27, 2022, our lives were shattered and our baby was gone.’
She said the Democrat’s support of lax border restrictions has led to a surge in fentanyl smuggling into the U.S., and by extension, led to the death of her son Weston.
Funder called for cartels – who manufacture most of the fentanyl consumed in the U.S. – to be designated as terrorist organizations.
The move could lead to less death among young Americans, she argued.
After her remark, Trump appeared to mouth ‘We should do it’ to his newly picked VP running mate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio.
When Funder called for cartels to be designated as terrorist organizations, Trump appeared to agree
Funder on stage with images of her son Weston displayed behind her
At times, Funder began choking up during her address, clearly feeling the heavy emotions that reemerged when speaking about her son
‘This was not an overdose, it was a poisoning,’ Funder said.
‘His whole future, everything we wanted for him, was ripped a way in an instant, and Joe Biden does nothing.’
The latest data from the CDC found that 107,941 Americans died from overdose in 2022 – the equivalent of 295 fatalities per day and up one percent on the year before.
Fentanyl was the main force behind the surge — which is fatal in even in tiny doses — with the illicit drug behind nearly 70 percent of the fatalities.
America’s youth are particularly vulnerable to the drug too, with many reports of children, like Weston, who take one pill and pass away.
Sadly, provisional figures for 2023 suggest the epidemic is continuing to rise.
Fentanyl is often included as a filler for illicit drugs like ecstasy and cocaine. It is commonly pressed into pills
There were 110,640 fatalities estimated for the 12 months to October that year.
Oregon — which has been experimenting with decriminalizing drugs — currently has the sharpest surge in fatalities.