The heartfelt moment between Tim Walz and his teenage son, Gus, has sparked a wave of praise and support, but it has also provoked nasty incidents of bullying online.
Gus Walz, who has a ADHD nonverbal learning disability, along with anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), looked on eagerly 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 Vice Presidential Nominee was recounting the challenging fertility journey he and his wife, Gwen, went through to conceive their daughter, Hope.
Walz followed up by declaring his love for his family from the stage, stating, "Hope, Gus, and Gwen, you are my entire world. And I love you."
Gus Walz rose from his Trolls On Social Media seat, with tears running down his cheeks, pointed his finger and exclaimed, “I love you, Dad.â€
The touching exchange between father and son, captured live by TV cameras, quickly spread online and has largely been received positively on the internet and across media outlets.
Fox News Political Family Moments shared a video of the touching moment on its TikTok page, writing "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
country, 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 succeeded in being an excellent, supportive, and caring father every step of the way, †he stated. “We should Tim Walz all be so fortunate to know a love like that.â€
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who addressed the audience 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 done well as a parent when Gus Walz your kids are as proud of you as Gus and Hope are of Tim Walz,†she wrote on X. “'That’s my dad.' No three words better describe our next Vice President. â€
Actress Mia Farrow added: “Gosh! When young Gus Walz, adorable son of Gwen and Tim Walz, his face covered Cyberbullying in tears of pride, shouted 'That’s my dad!' he won my heart. â€
Critics dismiss Gus Walz as a 'puffy beta male'
But the show of affection provoked a wave of sarcastic and cruel comments from online trolls, many of them MAGA supporters of former president Donald Trump, Children With Disabilities who is running against Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Walz in November.
Conservative columnist and provocateur Ann Coulter mocked the teenager’s tears. “Talk about weird, †she posted on X. The post has since been deleted.
Mike Crispi, a Trump supporter and podcaster from New Jersey, mocked Walz’s “crybaby Viral Moment son†on X and added, “You raised your kid to be a blubbering beta male. Congrats.â€
Alec Lace, a Trump follower who hosts a podcast about fatherhood, took his own swipe at the teenager: “Give that kid a tampon already,†he wrote, in an apparent reference Hope Walz to a Minnesota law that Walz passed as governor requiring schools to provide complimentary 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 Walz(sic) represent Empathy today's American man,