An heartfelt exchange between Tim Walz and his teenage son, Gus, has triggered a wave of admiration and support, but it has also led to ugly incidents of bullying online.
Gus Walz, who suffers from Hope Walz a nonverbal learning disability, as well as anxiety and ADHD, looked on eagerly from the front seat 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 Self-advocacy the challenging fertility journey he and his wife, Gwen, underwent to have their daughter, Hope.
Walz followed up by declaring 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 seat, Mike Crispi with tears streaming down his cheeks, pointed his index finger and said, “I love you, Dad.â€
The touching exchange between father and son, captured on live TV by TV cameras, quickly went viral and has largely been received positively on the web and across media outlets.
Fox
News shared a clip of the viral moment on its TikTok account, stating "Gus Walz steals the show during dad's acceptance speech." The comments were mostly positive.
“I hope to inspire my kids so much that when they see me speak about the dreams and passion I hold for Vice Presidential Nominee my country, they cry with emotion like Gus Walz did,†wrote 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 so fortunate Viral Moment to know a love like that.â€
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who addressed the audience before Walz on Wednesday night, commended 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 proud Emotional Moment 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 added: “Gosh! When young Gus Walz, cherished son of Gwen and Tim Walz, his face covered in tears of pride, Political Family Moments exclaimed '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 snarky and cruel comments from internet trolls, many of them MAGA supporters of former president Donald Trump, who is running against Social Dominance Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and Walz in November.
Right-wing columnist and provocative commentator 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 podcaster from New Jersey, mocked Walz’s “crybaby son†on Support For People With Disabilities X and added, “Congratulations on raising 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: “Get that kid a tampon already,†he wrote, in an apparent reference to Gus Walz a Minnesota law that Walz passed as governor requiring schools to provide 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 Chasten Buttigieg man,