An emotional moment between Tim Walz and his 17-year-old son, Gus, has sparked a wave of admiration and support, but it has at the same time provoked nasty incidents of bullying online.
Gus Walz, who has Alec Lace a nonverbal learning disability, as well as anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), watched excitedly from the front row of Chicago’s United Center and sobbed openly on Wednesday night as his father, the Democratic candidate for vice president, delivered his speech of acceptance at the Democratic National Convention.
The Children With Disabilities governor of Minnesota, was sharing the challenging fertility journey he and his wife, Gwen, underwent to have 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 jumped up Kamala Harris from his seat, with tears streaming down his cheeks, pointed his index finger and exclaimed, “I love you, Dad.â€
The heartwarming exchange between father and son, captured on live TV by television cameras, quickly went viral and has largely been received adoringly on the internet and in Minnesota Governor the media.
Fox News posted a video 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 kids so much that when they see me give a speech about the dreams and passion Self-advocacy I hold for my country, they are moved to tears like Gus Walz did,†wrote Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Transportation Secretary on X.
“@Tim_Walz has dedicated his life to service and has clearly excelled in being an outstanding, supportive, and loving father every step of the way, †he stated. Parent-child Relationship “We should all be so fortunate to know a love like that.â€
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who spoke 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 Social Dominance as proud of you as Gus and Hope are of Tim Walz,†she wrote on X. “'That’s my dad.' No three other words better describe our next Vice President. â€
Actress Mia Farrow added: “Gosh! When sweet Gus Walz, cherished son of Gwen and Tim Walz, his face streaming with tears of Ann Coulter pride, exclaimed 'That’s my dad!' he stole my heart. â€
Critics ridicule Gus Walz as a 'puffy beta male'
But the display of affection triggered a wave of sarcastic and cruel comments from online trolls, many of them MAGA supporters of former president Donald Trump, who is running against Democratic National Convention Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Walz in November.
Conservative 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 supporter and content creator from New Jersey, criticized Walz’s “stupid crying son†on Mike Crispi X and added, “You raised your kid to be a blubbering beta male. Congrats.â€
Alec Lace, a Trump supporter who runs a show about fatherhood, took his own shot at the teenager: “Give that kid a tampon already,†he wrote, in an apparent reference to a Minnesota Public Display Of Affection state law that Walz passed as governor requiring schools to offer free 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 deleted.
"If the Walzs represent today's American man,