With Donald Trump as president, America has experienced the power one tweet can hold, but for Pieter Hanson, the experience came first hand when his mother made him the face of the #HimToo movement.
Hanson’s mother tweeted a photograph of him posed in his Navy uniform and captioned it with a tweet that set the #HimToo trend.
“This is MY son, He graduated #1 in boot camp. He was awarded the USO award. He was #1 in A school. He is a gentleman who respects women. He won’t go on solo dates due to the current climate of false sexual accusations by radical feminists with an axe to grind. I VOTE. #HimToo.”
Posted in the wake of the Brett Kavanaugh controversy, the tweet went viral, casting Hanson as the face of the #HimToo movement.
Hanson was in school taking a test when his phone started blowing up with calls from his military friends explaining what his mother had tweeted. Hanson says he didn’t yet realize the severity about becoming the poster boy for the #HimToo movement.
With the help of his “War room team,” his older brother and his best friend, Sarah, they devised a plan to turn this around “while respecting his mother and not throwing her under the bus.” He had to create a Twitter account, so he could set the record straight.
With a new picture in his civilian clothes and the same pose, he posted a response.
“That was my Mom,” Hanson explains. “Sometimes the people we love do things that hurt us without realizing it. Let’s turn this around. I respect and #BelieveWomen. I never have and never will support #HimToo. I’m a proud Navy vet, Cat Dad and Ally. Also, Twitter, your meme game is on point.”
Hanson gained a lot of new Twitter followers and turned the senses of people after that tweet. Thinking of others, Hanson decided to use his new fame for good by promoting several charities. Hanson’s younger brother had battled and beat Lymphoma, so Hanson decided to use his knew notoriety to promote the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
“I’ve been giving money and supporting these charities for a long time,” Hanson said, “but now I have this incredible platform to really do something with it.”
When asked about the experience, Hanson explained that “When people talk about things going viral, I don’t know what the magic formula is, I don’t really think anyone really understands how these things take off. But, when they do, they really take off fast and quick, and I learned first-hand what exactly it is like to be at ground zero of these things taking off. It was happening so quick, I wasn’t even able to comprehend or keep up with it. It was wildfire.”
He got to enjoy a trip to New York, and Washington D.C. due to the popularity of his mother’s tweet. “I have this unique window of opportunity that has opened up. A once in a lifetime experience. So, I am just letting my heart and opportunities guide me.”
As of Nov. 5, Hanson, has 43.6K followers on Twitter and continues posting photographs of his cats and promoting charities.