A heartfelt, unscripted moment between Tim Walz and his 17-year-old son, Gus, has led to vicious online bullying from Anna Coulter and other trump supporters. Gus Walz, who suffers from anxiety, ADHD, and a nonverbal learning disorder, wept freely Wednesday night as his father, the Democratic nominee for vice president, gave his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention. He watched with excitement from the front row of Chicago’s United Center.
The governor of Minnesota was discussing the challenging reproductive procedures he and his wife, Gwen, had to undergo to produce 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. And I love you.”
Gus Walz jumped up from his seat, tears on his face, pointed his index finger and commented, “I love you, Dad,” followed soon after with, “That’s my dad!”
The touching moment between father and son, captured live by television cameras, quickly went viral and has largely been received adoringly on the internet and the airwaves.
“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,” Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, wrote on X.
“@Tim_Walz has dedicated his life to service and has exceeded in being an excellent, supportive, and loving father every step of the way,” he wrote. “We should all be so lucky to know a love like that.”
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar praised the relationship between Walz and his children when she spoke before him on Wednesday night.
“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,” she wrote on X. “’ That’s my dad.’ No three words better describe our next Vice President.”
Ann Coulter posted about Tim Walz’s son. The backlash was swift.
However, the display of love prompted an uproar of nasty and caustic remarks on social media, many of which came from MAGA supporters of the former president Donald Trump, who is running against Walz and Kamala Harris for the Democratic presidential nomination in November.
Right-wing agitator and conservative columnist Ann Coulter made fun of the teenager’s weeping. “Talk about bizarre,” she commented on X. The internet response was sharp and swift.
“I can see why a child loving their parents would feel foreign to you” stated Tommy Vietor, Several commenters noted that Coulter’s remark was particularly hurtful in light of the information that his parents shared with People magazine about their son’s nonverbal learning disability, ADHD, and anxiety problem.
Coulter soon became a hotly debated on X, as was Gus Walz and the term “He’s 17.” Coulter deleted her post, but that thus far hasn’t stemmed the online pile-on.
Meanwhile, New Jersey podcaster and Trump supporter Mike Crispi made fun of Walz’s “stupid crying son” on X, saying, “You raised your kid to be a puffy beta male.” Congratulations.
The teen was targeted by Alec Lace, a Trump supporter, and creator of a podcast on fatherhood: “Get that kid a tampon already,” He remarked, probably making reference to a Minnesota state law that Governor Wald signed into effect mandating that schools provide free menstrual supplies to students.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Jay Weber, a conservative Milwaukee radio host, made a now-deleted post on X criticizing the Walz family.
“If the Walzs (sic) represent today’s American man, this country is screwed: ‘Meet my son, Gus. He’s a blubbering b-boy. His mother and I are very proud.”
After removing the post, Weber apologized and said he was unaware that Gus Walz had a learning disability.
Posts depict the ongoing bullying children experience
Advocates for children with learning disabilities were outraged by the venom directed at the Walz family.
“What we’re seeing with the bullying of Gus Walz online isn’t just cruel – it’s a painful reminder of what kids with disabilities face every single day,” said Katy Neas who runs a Washington-based nonprofit advocacy group for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Children with disabilities are two to three times more likely to be bullied than their peers, Neas said.
“That means our society is teaching countless kids with disabilities that they are somehow less than because of factors outside of their control, including emotional expression and disability,” she said. “What’s worse is that bullying can have a direct impact on their academic achievement, which in turn means fewer opportunities as adults. We’re failing these kids when we don’t understand or value their experiences.”
According to research, bullying activity typically originates from a confluence of variables including a need for social dominance, a lack of empathy, or violent behavior modeling at home, according to Kristen Eccleston, a social-emotional needs advocate and former special education teacher.
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