The emotional exchange between Tim Walz and his teenage son, Gus, has sparked a wave of admiration and support, but it has at the same time provoked ugly bullying attacks online.

The emotional exchange between Tim Walz and his teenage son, Gus, has sparked a wave of admiration and support, but it has at the same time provoked ugly bullying attacks online.

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The heartfelt moment between Tim Walz and his teenage son, Gus, has sparked a flood of praise and support, but it has at the same time led to ugly bullying attacks online.

Gus Walz, who has a nonverbal learning disability, as well as anxiety and ADHD, looked on eagerly from the front row of Chicago’s United Center and cried openly on Wednesday night as his father, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, gave his speech of acceptance at the Democratic National Convention.

The Minnesota governor was sharing the difficult fertility treatment he and his wife, Gwen, went through to conceive their daughter, Hope.

Walz continued 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 jumped up from his seat, with teardrops streaming down his cheeks, pointed his index finger and said, “I love you, Dad.”

The heartwarming moment between father and son, captured on live TV by TV cameras, quickly went viral and was mostly received adoringly on the web and in the media.

Fox News shared a video of the viral moment on its TikTok account, writing "Gus Walz steals the show during dad's acceptance speech." The comments were mostly positive.

“I hope to inspire my kids so much that when they see me give a speech about the dreams and passion I hold for my country, they are moved to tears like Gus Walz did,” posted Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Transportation Secretary on X.

“@Tim_Walz has dedicated his life to service and has clearly succeeded in being an excellent, supportive, and caring father throughout his life, ” he wrote. “We should all be so lucky to know a love like that.”

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who addressed the audience 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 done well as a parent when 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. ”

Actress Mia Farrow added: “Gosh! When sweet Gus Walz, cherished son of Gwen and Tim Walz, his face streaming with tears of pride, shouted 'That’s my dad!' he stole my heart. ”

Critics ridicule Gus Walz as a 'puffy beta male'
But the show of affection triggered a series of sarcastic and cruel comments from internet trolls, many of them MAGA supporters of former president Donald Trump, who is running against Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Walz in November.

Conservative columnist and provocateur Ann Coulter ridiculed the teenager’s tears. “Now that's weird, ” she posted on X. The post has since been deleted.

Mike Crispi, a Trump supporter and podcaster from New Jersey, mocked Walz’s “stupid crying son” on X and wrote, “Congratulations on raising your son to be a puffy beta male. Congrats.”

Alec Lace, a Trump supporter who hosts a podcast about fatherhood, took his own swipe at the teenager: “Give that kid a tampon already,” he said, in an apparent jab to a Minnesota state law that Walz signed as governor requiring schools to offer complimentary menstrual products to students.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel mentioned that Jay Weber, a conservative radio host in Milwaukee, posted a message on X criticizing the Walz family, now removed.

"If the Walz(sic) represent today's American man,


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