The emotional moment between Tim Walz and his teenage son, Gus, has triggered a flood of admiration and approval, but it has at the same time led to ugly bullying attacks online.
Gus Walz, who has Nonverbal Learning Disorder a nonverbal learning disability, as well as anxiety and ADHD, looked on eagerly from the front row of Chicago’s United Center and sobbed openly on Wednesday night as his father, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, delivered his speech of acceptance at the Democratic National Convention.
The Minnesota governor was recounting Vice Presidential Nominee the difficult fertility treatment he and his wife, Gwen, underwent to have their daughter, Hope.
Walz followed up by expressing his love for his loved ones from the stage, stating, "Hope, Gus, and Gwen, you are my entire world. And I love you."
Gus Walz rose from his seat, with tears Special Education running down his cheeks, pointed his index finger and said, “I love you, Dad.â€
The touching moment between father and son, captured on live TV by TV cameras, quickly spread online and has largely been received positively on the web and in the media.
Fox News shared
a clip of the viral moment on its TikTok account, 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 passion I have for my country, Parent-child Relationship they cry with emotion like Gus Walz did,†wrote Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, 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 stated. “We should all be Self-advocacy 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 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 Free Menstrual Products of you as Gus and Hope are of Tim Walz,†she wrote on X. “'That’s my dad.' No three words better capture our future vice president. â€
Actress Mia Farrow added: “Gosh! When young Gus Walz, adorable son of Gwen and Tim Walz, his face covered in tears of pride, exclaimed Jay Weber 'That’s my dad!' he won my heart. â€
Critics dismiss Gus Walz as a 'puffy beta male'
But the display of affection provoked a wave of snarky and nasty comments from online trolls, many of them supporters of MAGA, of former president Donald Trump, who is running against Democratic Gwen Walz presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Walz in November.
Conservative 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 Viral Moment added, “You raised your son to be a puffy beta male. Congrats.â€
Alec Lace, a Trump follower who hosts 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 ADHD that Walz passed as governor requiring educational institutions to provide complimentary menstrual products to students.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel mentioned that Jay Weber, a conservative Milwaukee radio host, posted a message on X criticizing the Walz family. now removed.
"If the Walz(sic) represent today's American man,