Viral Moment | mybabe22 | Alec Lace

The emotional moment between Tim Walz and his 17-year-old son, Gus, has triggered a flood of admiration and approval, but it has at the same time led to nasty bullying attacks online.

Gus Walz, who ADHD has a nonverbal learning disorder, as well as anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (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, gave his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Viral Video Convention.

The Minnesota governor was recounting the difficult fertility treatment 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, saying, "Hope, Gus, and Gwen, you mean everything to me. And I love you."

Gus Walz Self-advocacy rose from his seat, with tears streaming down his cheeks, pointed his finger and exclaimed, “I love you, Dad.”

The heartwarming exchange between father and son, captured live by TV cameras, quickly went viral and has largely been received adoringly on the internet and across media

outlets.

Fox News shared a clip of the viral moment on its TikTok page, stating "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 Hope Walz for my country, they cry with emotion like Gus Walz did,” wrote Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, on X.

“@Tim_Walz has devoted his life to service and has clearly excelled in being an excellent, supportive, and loving father throughout his life, ” he stated. “We Support For People With Disabilities should all be so fortunate to know a love like that.”

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who addressed the audience before Walz on Wednesday night, commended 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 done well as a parent Mike Crispi 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 future vice president. ”

Actress Mia Farrow added: “Gosh! When young Gus Walz, adorable son of Gwen and Tim Walz, his face Anxiety streaming with tears of pride, exclaimed 'That’s my dad!' he won my heart. ”

Critics dismiss Gus Walz as a 'puffy beta male'
But the display of affection provoked a series of snarky and nasty comments from internet trolls, primarily MAGA supporters of former President Donald Trump, who Vice Presidential Nominee is running against Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and Walz in November.

Right-wing columnist and provocative commentator Ann Coulter ridiculed the teenager’s tears. “Talk about weird, ” she wrote on X. The message has since been deleted.

Mike Crispi, a Trump backer and content creator from New Jersey, criticized Walz’s Special Education “stupid crying son” on X and wrote, “You raised your kid to be a puffy beta male. Congrats.”

Alec Lace, a Trump follower who runs a podcast about fatherhood, took his own shot at the teenager: “Give that kid a tampon already,” he said, in an Democratic National Convention apparent jab to a Minnesota law that Walz passed as governor requiring schools to offer free menstrual products to students.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Jay Weber, a conservative Milwaukee radio host, made a post on X criticizing the Walz family. now removed.

"If the Walz(sic) Trolls On Social Media represent today's American man,