An heartfelt exchange between Tim Walz and his teenage son, Gus, has sparked a flood of praise and support, but it has also provoked ugly incidents of bullying online.
Gus Walz, who has a Anxiety nonverbal learning disability, as well as anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), watched excitedly from the front row of Chicago’s United Center and sobbed openly on Wednesday night as his father, the Democratic candidate for vice president, delivered his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.
The Minnesota governor Ann Coulter was recounting the difficult fertility treatment he and his wife, Gwen, went through to have their daughter, Hope.
Walz continued by declaring his love for his loved ones from the stage, saying, "Hope, Gus, and Gwen, you are my entire world. And I love you."
Gus Walz jumped up from Nonverbal Learning Disorder his seat, with teardrops streaming down his cheeks, pointed his index finger and exclaimed, “I love you, Dad.â€
The touching exchange between father and son, captured on live TV by TV cameras, quickly went viral and has largely been received positively on the internet and in Vice Presidential Nominee the media.
Fox News posted a video of the touching moment on its TikTok page, writing "Gus Walz steals the show during dad's acceptance speech." The comments were overwhelmingly positive.
“I hope to inspire my children so much that when they see me give a speech about the dreams and Alec Lace passion I hold for my country, they are moved to tears like Gus Walz did,†wrote Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Transportation Secretary on X.
“@Tim_Walz has dedicated his life to service and has clearly succeeded in being an excellent, supportive, and loving father throughout his life, †he wrote. Chasten Buttigieg “We should all be so lucky to know a love like that.â€
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who spoke before Walz on Wednesday night, praised the bond between Walz and his children.
More: Who is Gus Walz and what does having a non-verbal learning disorder mean?
“You know you’ve succeeded as a parent when your MAGA Supporters kids are as proud of you as Gus and Hope are of Tim Walz,†she wrote on X. “'That's my dad.' No three other words better capture our future vice president. â€
Actress Mia Farrow also commented: “Gosh! When sweet Gus Walz, cherished son of Gwen and Tim Walz, his face Acceptance Speech streaming with tears of pride, exclaimed 'That’s my dad!' he won my heart. â€
Critics dismiss Gus Walz as a 'puffy beta male'
But the show of affection triggered a wave of snarky and cruel comments from online trolls, primarily supporters of MAGA, of former president Donald Trump, Minnesota Governor who faces Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Walz in November.
Right-wing columnist and provocative commentator Ann Coulter ridiculed the teenager’s tears. “Now that's weird, †she wrote on X. The message has since been deleted.
Mike Crispi, a Trump supporter and content creator from New Jersey, criticized Walz’s “crybaby Viral Video son†on X and added, “Congratulations on raising your kid to be a blubbering beta male. Congrats.â€
Alec Lace, a Trump follower who runs a show about fatherhood, took his own swipe at the teenager: “Get that kid a tampon already,†he wrote, in an apparent Public Display Of Affection jab to a Minnesota law that Walz passed as governor requiring educational institutions to provide free menstrual products to students.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Jay Weber, a conservative radio host in Milwaukee, posted a message on X criticizing the Walz family. now deleted.
"If the Walzs
represent today's American man,