Chicago: Tim Walz and his 17-year-old son Gus Walz shared a heartfelt, spontaneous moment that sparked hateful online bullying in addition to a barrage of compliments and love.
As his father, the Democratic nominee for vice president, gave his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night, Gus Walz, who suffers from a nonverbal learning disorder, anxiety, and ADHD, watched with excitement from the front row of Chicago’s United Center and sobbed freely.
In his speech, the governor of Minnesota described the challenging reproductive therapy he and his wife, Gwen, had in order to conceive their daughter, Hope.
Next, from the stage, Walz showed his affection for his family by stating, “Hope, Gus, and Gwen, you are my entire world.” Additionally, I adore you.”
With tears streaming down his cheeks, Gus Walz sprung from his chair and exclaimed, “That’s my dad!” and “I love you, Dad,” before pointing his pointer finger.
The heartwarming moment between the father and son, which was recorded in real time by television cameras, went viral fast and was mostly met with praise on the internet and radio.
On its TikTok website, Fox News posted a video of the popular event with the caption, “Gus Walz steals show during dad’s acceptance speech.” The feedback was overwhelmingly favorable.
Chasten Buttigieg, the spouse of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, said on X, “I hope to inspire my kids so much that when they see me speak of the dreams and passion, I have for my country they are moved to tears like Gus Walz was.”
He commented, “@Tim_Walz has devoted his life to service and has unquestionably exceeded in being an excellent, encouraging, and loving father at every turn.” “That kind of love should be so lucky for all of us to know.”
When she spoke before Walz on Wednesday night, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., lauded the bond between Walz and his kids.
She wrote on X, “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.” “That is my father.” Our new Vice President is best described in three words.
Actress Mia Farrow continued, saying, “Oh my! I was won over by the cute little Gus Walz, the proud son of Gwen and Tim Walz, who proudly said, “That’s my dad,” with tears flowing down his cheeks.
Gus Walz is dismissed by a podcaster and Trump fan as a “puffy beta male.”
But the display of devotion brought out a wide range of nasty and caustic remarks on social media, many of which came from MAGA followers of the former president Donald Trump. In November, Trump will face Walz and Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president.
Ann Coulter, a right-wing provocateur and conservative columnist, made fun of the teenager’s tears. She wrote on X, “Talk about weird.” Afterwards, the message was removed.
Podcaster Mike Crispi, a Trump fan from New Jersey, made fun of Walz’s “stupid crying son” on X, saying, “You raised your kid to be a puffy beta male.” Bravo.
The youngster was the target of a jab from Alec Lace, a Trump supporter and host of a podcast on fatherhood: “Get that kid a tampon already,” he said, seemingly alluding to a Minnesota state law that Walz signed into law as governor, requiring schools to give kids free menstrual products.
A now-deleted post on X by conservative Milwaukee radio presenter Jay Weber criticized the Walz family, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“This nation is in serious trouble if the Walz (sic) are an accurate representation of the modern American guy. Meet my kid, Gus. What a blubbering b—-boy. I, along with his mother, am incredibly proud.
Weber apologized and said he didn’t know Gus had a learning issue after taking down the article.
A statement from Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, to USA TODAY stated that the campaign “is focused on holding Walz and Harris accountable for their dangerously liberal policies that are bad for America.” None of the posts about bullying were addressed.
In 2015, Trump faced criticism for what seemed to be a mocking of a disabled New York Times reporter. Trump’s taunts have been criticized for perhaps inciting others to act in a similar way.
Advocates claim such posts depict the ongoing bullying that children endure.
Supporters of kids with learning difficulties were horrified by the hate speech aimed at the Walz household.
“The online harassment of Gus Walz is not only cruel; it’s a painful reminder of the struggles that children with disabilities face on a daily basis,” stated Katy Neas, chief executive officer of The Arc of the United States, a nonprofit advocacy organization based in Washington that supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
According to Neas, children with impairments are bullied two or three times more frequently than their classmates.
She stated, “That means our society is teaching countless kids with disabilities that they are somehow less than because of things like emotional expression and disability, which are factors outside of their control.” “What’s worse is that bullying may directly affect their academic performance, which may limit their adult chances. When we fail to recognize the significance of their experiences, we are failing these children.
Kristen Eccleston, a former special education teacher and advocate for children with social-emotional issues, stated that research indicates that bullying behavior frequently results from a mix of characteristics like a desire for social dominance, a lack of empathy, or modeling of violent behaviors at home.
Eccleston, a worker at the Weinfeld Education Group, a Bethesda, Maryland-based organization that assists parents in making sure their children receive the supports and services they require, stated that “children with learning disabilities are especially vulnerable because bullies may perceive them as ‘easy targets’ due to their struggles with communication or social skills.”
Eccleston remarked, “As parents, it breaks our hearts to watch our kids suffer from such cruelty.” When a child experiences bullying similar to Gus’, it’s important to show them that they are loved, to acknowledge their feelings, and to reassure them that their value is not determined by the harmful ideas of others. In order to support their child in gaining strong self-advocacy skills and a positive sense of self, families should use these public encounters to encourage honest conversation about feelings.
Gus Walz is being bullied in an abhorrent way, according to Anne Strober, whose son has autism.
“In my opinion, it simply symbolizes the loss of humanity experienced by many people,” she stated. With social media, a lot of people feel particularly confident since they can express themselves freely and anonymously from behind their computers. Whether it happens in person or virtually, it still hurts. Nothing fits in there.
According to Strober, who resides in North Potomac, Maryland, and works with parents through the Weinfeld Education Group, parents who are concerned for their children’s safety often choose to homeschool their children or take them out of school. This is because public schools frequently fail to stop incidents of bullying.
“No matter what political party their parents belong to, children should not be subjected to bullying, especially by adults,” the speaker declared. While other children will notice all of their nasty remarks, Gus won’t. And their families will suffer greatly as a result.