Patton Oswalt defused a Twitter fight with a Trump fan with a surprise act of kindness

Ross A. Lincoln

Patton Oswalt is known to argue on Twitter about politics, but on Thursday the comedian responded to an insult from someone who disagreed with his opinion of Donald Trump by organizing his fans to help pay the man’s medical bills.

It started after Oswalt tweeted a rhyme that mocked something Donald Trump said to promote the border wall plan at the center of the ongoing government shutdown. Twitter user Michael Beatty responded to Oswalt’s tweet with an insult of his own: “I just realized why I was so happy you died in Blade Trinity!”

But instead of escalating the disagreement, Oswalt took a look at Beatty’s Twitter feed and learned he had established a gofundme account to help pay for bills he incurred after being hospitalized for sepsis and diabetic ketoacidosis, and falling into a coma. So Oswalt urged his fans to donate. (You can donate right here.)

At that point Beatty had raised around $600, but after Oswalt donated $2,000, his fans joined him and within half an hour, donations exceeded the $5,000 Beatty was seeking. It's since raised more than $30,000.

“Patton. You have humbled me to the point where I can barely compose my words,” Beatty tweeted to Oswalt soon after. “You have caused me to take pause and reflect on how harmful words from my mouth could result in such an outpouring. Thank you for this and I will pass this on to my cousin who needs help. A cascade.”

Beatty later addressed the other people who donated, saying “I want to thank everyone who came to my aid with generous outpourings- and also to @pattonoswalt without whom I would not be the recipient of so much love and support. I’m not a man who ever cries but I had to wait to send this. And to quote Stuart on Big Bang “meat tonight”!”

The donations continued well into the day and by Thursday night, the gofundme had raised more than $25,000.

“After today, I tend to think I’m a tempered Republican,” Beatty later told the Washington Post. “I’m having to reevaluate some of the things I’ve gone along with, The biggest thing I learned about [Oswalt] is that he is a man of character.”

See photos of Patton Oswalt with his wife and daughter:

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