The heartfelt exchange between Tim Walz and his 17-year-old son, Gus, has triggered a wave of praise and approval, but it has at the same time provoked ugly bullying attacks online.
Gus Walz, who suffers from Jay Weber a 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 cried openly on Wednesday night as his father, the Democratic candidate for vice president, gave his speech of acceptance at the Democratic National Convention.
The Chasten Buttigieg Minnesota governor was sharing the challenging fertility journey he and his wife, Gwen, went through to have their daughter, Hope.
Walz continued by expressing his love for his loved ones from the stage, stating, "Hope, Gus, and Gwen, you mean everything to me. And I love you."
Gus Walz rose from ADHD his seat, with teardrops running down his cheeks, pointed his index finger and said, “I love you, Dad.â€
The touching moment between father and son, captured live by television cameras, quickly went viral and has largely been received positively on the web and across media outlets.
Fox Alec Lace News posted a clip of the viral moment on its TikTok account, stating "Gus Walz steals the show during dad's acceptance speech." The comments were mostly positive.
“I hope to inspire my children so much that when they see me speak about the dreams and passion I hold for my Mike Crispi country, they are moved to tears like Gus Walz did,†posted Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Transportation Secretary on X.
“@Tim_Walz has devoted his life to service and has clearly excelled in being an excellent, supportive, and caring father every step of the way, †he wrote. “We should all be so Nonverbal Learning Disorder lucky to know a love like that.â€
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who spoke before Walz on Wednesday night, praised the love between Walz and his children.
More: Who is Gus Walz and what does having a non-verbal learning disorder mean?
“You know you’ve done well as a parent when your kids are as proud of
you as Gus and Hope are of Tim Walz,†she posted on X. “'That’s my dad.' No three words better describe our future vice president. â€
Actress Mia Farrow also commented: “Gosh! When young Gus Walz, cherished son of Gwen and Tim Walz, his face streaming with tears of pride, shouted Viral Moment 'That’s my dad!' he stole my heart. â€
Critics dismiss Gus Walz as a 'puffy beta male'
But the display of affection triggered a series of snarky and cruel comments from internet trolls, many of them supporters of MAGA, of former president Donald Trump, who is running against Democratic Social Dominance presidential candidate Kamala Harris and Walz in November.
Right-wing columnist and provocative commentator Ann Coulter ridiculed the teenager’s tears. “Talk about weird, †she wrote on X. The post has since been deleted.
Mike Crispi, a Trump backer and content creator from New Jersey, mocked Walz’s “crybaby son†on X and Public Display Of Affection wrote, “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: “Give that kid a tampon already,†he wrote, in an apparent reference to a Minnesota law Minnesota Governor that Walz signed as governor requiring educational institutions to provide complimentary menstrual products to students.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel mentioned that Jay Weber, a conservative radio host in Milwaukee, posted a message on X criticizing the Walz family, now deleted.
"If the Walz(sic) represent today's American man,