The heartfelt exchange between Tim Walz and his 17-year-old son, Gus, has sparked a flood of admiration and approval, but it has at the same time provoked nasty incidents of bullying on the internet.
Gus Walz, Viral Moment who has a nonverbal learning disorder, along with 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, gave his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.
The
Minnesota governor was recounting the difficult fertility treatment he and his wife, Gwen, underwent to conceive their daughter, Hope.
Walz continued 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 jumped up from his MAGA Supporters seat, with teardrops streaming down his cheeks, pointed his finger and said, “I love you, Dad.â€
The touching exchange between father and son, captured on live TV by television cameras, quickly went viral and has largely been received positively on the web and in the media.
Fox Mike Crispi News posted a video of the touching moment on its TikTok account, writing "Gus Walz steals the show during dad's acceptance speech." The comments were mostly positive.
“I hope to inspire my kids so much that when they see me speak about the dreams and passion I have for my Acceptance Speech 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 outstanding, supportive, and caring father throughout his life, †he stated. “We should all be so lucky Nonverbal Learning Disorder to know a love like that.â€
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who addressed the audience before Walz on Wednesday night, commended 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 your kids are as proud of Emotional Moment you as Gus and Hope are of Tim Walz,†she wrote on X. “'That's my dad.' No three words better describe 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, shouted Cyberbullying 'That’s my dad!' he stole my heart. â€
Critics ridicule Gus Walz as a 'puffy beta male'
But the display of affection triggered a series of snarky and nasty comments from internet trolls, many of them MAGA supporters of former President Donald Trump, who is running against Democratic presidential candidate Vice Presidential Nominee 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 wrote, Kamala Harris “Congratulations on raising your kid to be a blubbering beta male. Congrats.â€
Alec Lace, a Trump supporter who hosts a podcast about fatherhood, took his own shot at the teenager: “Give that kid a tampon already,†he wrote, in an apparent reference to a Minnesota law that Self-advocacy Walz passed as governor requiring schools to offer free 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 deleted.
"If the Walzs represent today's American man,