The emotional exchange between Tim Walz and his 17-year-old son, Gus, has sparked a flood of praise and support, but it has at the same time provoked ugly bullying attacks on the internet.
Gus Walz, who Support For People With Disabilities has a nonverbal learning disorder, as well as 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 speech of acceptance at the Democratic National Convention.
The governor of Minnesota, Public Display Of Affection was sharing the difficult fertility treatment he and his wife, Gwen, went through to have their daughter, Hope.
Walz followed up by declaring his love for his loved ones from the stage, saying, "Hope, Gus, and Gwen, you mean everything to me. And I love you."
Gus Walz jumped up from his MAGA Supporters seat, with tears running down his cheeks, pointed his index finger and exclaimed, “I love you, Dad.â€
The touching exchange between father and son, captured on live TV by TV cameras, quickly spread online and was mostly received adoringly on the internet and across media outlets.
Fox Fox News News posted a clip of the viral moment on its TikTok account, stating "Gus Walz steals the spotlight during dad's acceptance speech." The comments were mostly positive.
“I hope to inspire my kids so much that when they see me give a speech about the dreams and passion I hold Self-advocacy 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 throughout his life, †he stated. “We should all Tim Walz 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 succeeded as a parent when your kids are Viral Video 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 also commented: “Gosh! When young Gus Walz, cherished son of Gwen and Tim Walz, his face streaming with tears of
pride, shouted 'That’s my dad!' he stole my heart. â€
Critics ridicule Gus Walz as a 'puffy beta male'
But the display of affection provoked a wave of sarcastic and nasty comments from online trolls, many of them MAGA supporters of former president Donald Trump, who faces Democratic Hope Walz presidential candidate Kamala Harris and Walz in November.
Right-wing columnist and provocateur 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, criticized Walz’s “stupid crying son†on X and Anxiety added, “You raised your son to be a puffy beta male. Congrats.â€
Alec Lace, a Trump follower who hosts a podcast about fatherhood, took his own shot at the teenager: “Give that kid a tampon already,†he wrote, in an apparent jab to a Minnesota law Emotional Moment 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, made a post on X criticizing the Walz family, now deleted.
"If the Walz(sic) represent today's American man,