An heartfelt moment between Tim Walz and his teenage son, Gus, has sparked a wave of praise and support, but it has also led to ugly bullying attacks on the internet.
Gus Walz, who has Acceptance Speech a nonverbal learning disability, along with anxiety and ADHD, watched excitedly 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 governor of Minnesota, Online Bullying was recounting 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 rose from his seat, Gwen Walz with tears running down his cheeks, pointed his finger and exclaimed, “I love you, Dad.â€
The heartwarming exchange between father and son, captured live by TV cameras, quickly went viral and has largely been received positively on the web and in the media.
Fox News shared
a video 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 have for my country, Democratic National Convention they cry with emotion 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 caring father every step of the way, †he stated. “We should all be so fortunate Gus Walz 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 is a non-verbal learning disorder?
“You know you’ve succeeded as a parent when your kids are as proud of you as Kamala Harris Gus and Hope are of Tim Walz,†she posted on X. “'That’s my dad.' No three words better describe our next Vice President. â€
Actress Mia Farrow added: “Gosh! When young Gus Walz, adorable son of Gwen and Tim Walz, his face streaming with tears of pride, shouted 'That’s my Fox News dad!' he stole my heart. â€
Critics dismiss Gus Walz as a 'puffy beta male'
But the display of affection triggered a series of snarky and cruel comments from internet trolls, primarily supporters of MAGA, of former President Donald Trump, who is running against Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris Viral Moment and Walz in November.
Conservative columnist and provocateur Ann Coulter mocked the teenager’s tears. “Now that's weird, †she posted on X. The message has since been deleted.
Mike Crispi, a Trump backer and content creator from New Jersey, mocked Walz’s “crybaby son†on X and wrote, “You raised Anxiety your kid to be a blubbering beta male. Congrats.â€
Alec Lace, a Trump follower who hosts 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 law that Walz passed Emotional Moment as governor requiring educational institutions 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 Walz(sic) represent today's American man,