The emotional moment between Tim Walz and his teenage son, Gus, has triggered a flood of praise and approval, but it has also provoked ugly incidents of bullying on the internet.
Gus Walz, who has Parent-child Relationship a nonverbal learning disability, along with 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 candidate for vice president, delivered his speech of acceptance at the Democratic National
Convention.
The Minnesota governor was recounting the challenging fertility journey he and his wife, Gwen, underwent to conceive their daughter, Hope.
Walz continued by expressing his love for his family from the stage, stating, "Hope, Gus, and Gwen, you mean everything to me. And I love you."
Gus Walz jumped up Vice Presidential Nominee from his seat, with teardrops streaming down his cheeks, pointed his 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 positively on the web and across Ann Coulter media outlets.
Fox News posted a clip of the touching moment on its TikTok page, writing "Gus Walz steals the spotlight during dad's acceptance speech." The comments were mostly positive.
“I hope to inspire my children so much that when they see me speak about the dreams and passion I Free Menstrual Products have for my country, they are moved to tears like Gus Walz did,†posted Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, on X.
“@Tim_Walz has dedicated his life to service and has clearly excelled in being an excellent, supportive, and caring father throughout his life, †he wrote. Trolls On Social Media “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 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 Kamala Harris 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 other words better capture our next Vice President. â€
Actress Mia Farrow also commented: “Gosh! When young Gus Walz, cherished son of Gwen and Tim Walz, his Chasten Buttigieg face covered in tears of pride, shouted 'That’s my dad!' he won my heart. â€
Critics dismiss Gus Walz as a 'puffy beta male'
But the display of affection provoked a wave of snarky and nasty comments from internet trolls, primarily supporters of MAGA, of former president Donald Trump, Hope Walz who faces Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and Walz in November.
Right-wing columnist and provocative commentator Ann Coulter ridiculed the teenager’s tears. “Now that's weird, †she wrote on X. The message has since been deleted.
Mike Crispi, a Trump backer and content creator from New Jersey, mocked Walz’s Children With Disabilities “crybaby son†on X and wrote, “You raised your kid 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 said, in an apparent Online Bullying reference to a Minnesota state law that Walz signed as governor requiring schools to provide complimentary menstrual products to students.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Jay Weber, a conservative Milwaukee radio host, posted a message on X criticizing the Walz family, now deleted.
"If the Walz(sic) Public Display Of Affection represent today's American man,