The emotional moment between Tim Walz and his 17-year-old son, Gus, has triggered a flood of admiration and approval, but it has also provoked nasty incidents of bullying on the internet.
Gus Walz, who suffers from Hope Walz a nonverbal learning disability, as well as anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), looked on eagerly from the front seat of Chicago’s United Center and sobbed openly on Wednesday night as his father, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, gave his speech of acceptance at the Democratic National Convention.
The Minnesota Parent-child Relationship governor was sharing the challenging fertility journey he and his wife, Gwen, underwent 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 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 television cameras, quickly spread online and has largely been received adoringly on the web and across media outlets.
Fox Chasten Buttigieg News posted a video of the viral moment on its TikTok account, 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 Tim Walz country, they are moved to tears 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 excelled in being an outstanding, supportive, and loving father throughout his life, †he wrote. “We should all be Anxiety 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 love 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 as Self-advocacy proud of you as Gus and Hope are of Tim Walz,†she posted on X. “'That’s my dad.' No three other words better capture our future 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, Mike Crispi exclaimed 'That’s my dad!' he won my heart. â€
Critics dismiss Gus Walz as a 'puffy beta male'
But the show of affection triggered a series of sarcastic and cruel comments from internet trolls, primarily supporters of MAGA, of former President Donald Trump, who is running against Democratic Empathy presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Walz in November.
Conservative columnist and provocateur Ann Coulter mocked the teenager’s tears. “Talk about weird, †she wrote on X. The message has since been deleted.
Mike Crispi, a Trump backer and content creator from New Jersey, criticized Walz’s “stupid crying son†on X and Viral Video added, “Congratulations on raising your son to be a blubbering beta male. Congrats.â€
Alec Lace, a Trump supporter who runs 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 state Gwen Walz law that Walz signed as governor requiring educational institutions to offer free 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,