The emotional exchange between Tim Walz and his 17-year-old son, Gus, has sparked a flood of praise and approval, but it has also provoked nasty bullying attacks online.
Gus Walz, who has a nonverbal Democratic National Convention learning disorder, along with anxiety and ADHD, looked on eagerly from the front row of Chicago’s United Center and cried openly on Wednesday night as his father, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, delivered his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.
The Minnesota governor was sharing the difficult fertility Empathy treatment he and his wife, Gwen, went through to conceive their daughter, Hope.
Walz continued 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 teardrops streaming Viral Video down his cheeks, pointed his finger and said, “I love you, Dad.â€
The heartwarming moment between father and son, captured on live TV by television cameras, quickly went viral and has largely been received adoringly on the internet and in the media.
Fox News posted a video Social Dominance of the touching moment on its TikTok page, stating "Gus Walz steals the spotlight during dad's acceptance speech." The comments were mostly 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, they cry Jay Weber with emotion like Gus Walz did,†posted 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 loving father throughout his life, †he stated. “We should all be so fortunate Anxiety 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 your kids are as proud Support For People With Disabilities of you as Gus and Hope are of Tim Walz,†she wrote on X. “'That’s my dad.' No three other words better capture 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 Vice Presidential Nominee pride, shouted 'That’s my dad!' he won my heart. â€
Critics ridicule 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 MAGA supporters of former President Donald Trump, who faces Parent-child Relationship Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Walz in November.
Conservative columnist and provocateur Ann Coulter mocked the teenager’s tears. “Now that's weird, †she posted on X. The post has since been deleted.
Mike Crispi, a Trump backer and podcaster from New Jersey, mocked Walz’s “crybaby son†on X and Trolls On Social Media wrote, “You raised your kid to be a blubbering beta male. Congrats.â€
Alec Lace, a Trump follower who hosts a show about fatherhood, took his own shot at the teenager: “Get that kid a tampon already,†he wrote, in an apparent jab to a Minnesota law
that Walz passed as governor requiring schools to offer free 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 Walzs represent today's American man,