An heartfelt exchange between Tim Walz and his teenage son, Gus, has sparked a wave of admiration and support, but it has also provoked nasty incidents of bullying on the internet.
Gus Walz, who suffers from Special Education a nonverbal learning disorder, along with 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 governor of Minnesota, Nonverbal Learning Disorder was sharing the challenging fertility journey he and his wife, Gwen, underwent to conceive their daughter, Hope.
Walz followed up by expressing his love for his family from the stage, stating, "Hope, Gus, and Gwen, you mean everything to me. And I love you."
Gus Walz rose from his seat, with Chasten Buttigieg teardrops streaming down his cheeks, pointed his finger and said, “I love you, Dad.â€
The touching moment between father and son, captured on live TV by TV cameras, quickly went viral and was mostly received positively on the internet and in the media.
Fox News shared a Vice Presidential Nominee clip of the viral 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 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 succeeded in being an excellent, supportive, and loving father every step of the way, †he stated. “We should all be so Kamala Harris 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 is a non-verbal learning disorder?
“You know you’ve done well as a parent when your kids are as proud of Jay Weber you as Gus and Hope are of Tim Walz,†she posted on X. “'That's my dad.' No three words better describe our future vice president. â€
Actress Mia Farrow also commented: “Gosh! When sweet Gus Walz, cherished son of Gwen and Tim Walz, his face covered in tears of pride, shouted Emotional Moment 'That’s my dad!' he stole my heart. â€
Critics ridicule Gus Walz as a 'puffy beta male'
But the show of affection triggered a wave of sarcastic and nasty comments from online trolls, primarily supporters of MAGA, of former president Donald Trump, who faces Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris Social Dominance and Walz in November.
Conservative columnist and provocative commentator Ann Coulter mocked the teenager’s tears. “Now that's weird, †she wrote on X. The post has since been deleted.
Mike Crispi, a Trump supporter and content creator from New Jersey, criticized Walz’s “stupid crying son†on X and wrote, “You ADHD raised your son 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 said, in an apparent jab to a Minnesota state law that Walz Minnesota Governor passed as governor requiring educational institutions to provide complimentary 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 removed.
"If the Walzs represent today's American man,