An emotional moment between Tim Walz and his teenage 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, Tim Walz who suffers from a nonverbal learning disorder, along with anxiety and 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 acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.
The Minnesota governor Free Menstrual Products 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 loved ones from the stage, stating, "Hope, Gus, and Gwen, you mean everything to me. And I love you."
Gus Walz jumped up from his Vice Presidential Nominee seat, with teardrops streaming down his cheeks, pointed his index finger and exclaimed, “I love you, Dad.â€
The touching moment between father and son, captured on live TV by TV cameras, quickly went viral and has largely been received positively on the internet and in the Nonverbal Learning Disorder media.
Fox News posted a clip of the touching moment on its TikTok page, writing "Gus Walz steals the show during dad's acceptance speech." The comments were overwhelmingly positive.
“I hope to inspire my children so much that when they see me speak about the dreams and passion I hold Social Dominance for my country, they cry with emotion like Gus Walz did,†posted Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Transportation Secretary 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 Special Education so fortunate to know a love like that.â€
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who spoke before Walz on Wednesday night, commended the love 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
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 young Gus Walz, adorable son of Gwen and Tim Walz, his face streaming with tears of pride, Social Media Criticism shouted 'That’s my dad!' he won my heart. â€
Critics ridicule Gus Walz as a 'puffy beta male'
But the display of affection provoked a wave of snarky and cruel comments from internet trolls, primarily MAGA supporters of former president Donald Trump, who is running against Democratic presidential Support For People With Disabilities candidate Kamala Harris and Walz in November.
Right-wing columnist and provocative commentator Ann Coulter mocked the teenager’s tears. “Now that's weird, †she wrote on X. The message has since been deleted.
Mike Crispi, a Trump supporter and podcaster from New Jersey, mocked Walz’s “crybaby son†on X and wrote, Public Display Of Affection “Congratulations on raising your kid to be a puffy beta male. Congrats.â€
Alec Lace, a Trump supporter who runs a show about fatherhood, took his own swipe at the teenager: “Give that kid a tampon already,†he wrote, in an apparent reference to a Minnesota law Kamala Harris that Walz passed as governor requiring schools to provide complimentary menstrual products to students.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel mentioned that Jay Weber, a conservative Milwaukee radio host, made a post on X criticizing the Walz family, now removed.
"If the Walzs represent today's American man,