The heartfelt exchange between Tim Walz and his 17-year-old son, Gus, has triggered a flood of admiration and approval, but it has also led to nasty incidents of bullying on the internet.
Gus Walz, who suffers Vice Presidential Nominee from 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 candidate for vice president, gave his speech of acceptance at the Democratic National Convention.
The Minnesota governor Self-advocacy was recounting the difficult fertility treatment he and his wife, Gwen, went through to conceive their daughter, Hope.
Walz continued by declaring his love for his family from the stage, saying, "Hope, Gus, and Gwen, you are my entire world. And I love you."
Gus Walz jumped up from his seat, ADHD with teardrops streaming down his cheeks, pointed his index finger and said, “I love you, Dad.â€
The touching exchange between father and son, captured on live TV by television cameras, quickly spread online and has largely been received positively on the internet and in the media.
Fox
News posted a video of the touching moment on its TikTok page, writing "Gus Walz steals the spotlight during dad's acceptance speech." The comments were overwhelmingly positive.
“I hope to inspire my kids so much that when they see me speak about the dreams and passion I hold for my Trolls On Social Media 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 succeeded in being an excellent, supportive, and caring father throughout his life, †he wrote. “We should all be so lucky Emotional Moment to know a love like that.â€
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who spoke 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 you Hope Walz as Gus and Hope are of Tim Walz,†she posted on X. “'That’s my dad.' No three other words better describe our next Vice President. â€
Actress Mia Farrow added: “Gosh! When young Gus Walz, cherished son of Gwen and Tim Walz, his face streaming with tears of pride, exclaimed 'That’s Special Education my dad!' he won my heart. â€
Critics ridicule Gus Walz as a 'puffy beta male'
But the show of affection triggered a series of snarky and nasty comments from internet trolls, many of them supporters of MAGA, of former President Donald Trump, who is running against Democratic presidential candidate Ann Coulter Kamala Harris and Walz in November.
Right-wing columnist and provocateur Ann Coulter ridiculed the teenager’s tears. “Talk about weird, †she posted on X. The message has since been deleted.
Mike Crispi, a Trump supporter and podcaster from New Jersey, mocked Walz’s “stupid crying son†on X and added, “Congratulations Jay Weber on raising your son to be a blubbering beta male. Congrats.â€
Alec Lace, a Trump follower who runs a show about fatherhood, took his own shot at the teenager: “Get that kid a tampon already,†he said, in an apparent reference to a Minnesota state law that Acceptance Speech Walz passed as governor requiring educational institutions to offer complimentary menstrual products to students.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Jay Weber, a conservative radio host in Milwaukee, made a post on X criticizing the Walz family. now deleted.
"If the Walzs represent today's American man,
