Notable right-wingers like Ann Coulter and Mike Crispi went after Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's son Gus for getting emotionally overwhelmed watching his father deliver his speech at the Democratic National Convention.
On August 6, U.S. Vice President and the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris officially announced Walz as her running mate, and the team has bolstered Democratic enthusiasm and high hopes for the future of democracy as they hit the campaign trail in all the battleground states.
So when Governor Walz gave his acceptance speech to the DNC last night, perhaps no one was as proud as his family, particularly his 17-year-old son Gus, who was seen crying tears of joy for his dad as Walz took to the stage on the DNC's third day in Chicago.
Amidst the cheers, the former high school coach addressed his daughter, son, and wife, telling them:
"Hope, Gus, and Gwen. You are my entire world and I love you."
You can see the moving moment below:
As those around Walz's family were moved and excitedly rose to their feet, it was Gus who stood out from the crowd as he was seen sobbing and overcome with pride for his dad's accomplishments and joyous reception.
He clapped and pointed to the presumptive VP of the United States and yelled, "That's my dad!"
It was a shining moment of love and represented the wholesomeness of the nation that had been besieged by political darkness.
However, while Gus Walz's emotional moment was widely embraced, right-wingers bullied the high schooler online with cruel remarks on what it means to be a man.
Conservative media pundit Ann Coulter took to X (formerly Twitter) and called the teenager, "weird."
The "weird" descriptor was an element Tim Walz introduced to the campaign to describe the Republican party, which has been used against him, starting a string of attacks with both parties using the word to disparage each other.
In a now deleted tweet, Coulter posted a screenshot of Gus crying and captioned it with:
"Talk about weird."
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Her comment didn't go over so well.
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Right-wing media host Mike Crispi, a devoted Republican Trump supporter, also posted a screenshot of Gus Walz breaking down in tears and disparaged him with a bizarre insight on masculinity.
Crispi wrote on X:
"Tim [Walz's] stupid crying son isn't the flex the left thinks it is. You raised your kid to be a puffy beta male. Congrats."
"Does Barron Trump cry? Nope. Does he have a father? Of course. That's the [type] of values I want leading the country."
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Political strategist and The View cohost Ana Navarro shared a screenshot of Crispi's post in addition to Coulter's and pretty much told them to STFU.
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Political commentator Brian Krassenstein noted Coulter and Crispi's remarks as especially deplorable given that Gus Walz is known to have ADHD, an anxiety disorder, and a non-verbal learning disorder, which his dad and mom have addressed before. They referred to their son's diagnostic conditions as his "secret power."
"The people attacking or making fun of 17-year-old Gus Walz just don’t understand what JOY and LOVE are all about. They wish they had someone who cared as much about them as Gus does his dad," wrote Krassenstein, adding:
"Gus has a non verbal learning disability. He is neurodivergent and has ADHD."
"He is proud of his father. Now shut up already."
"I’m glad to see people on both sides of the aisle pushing back on the filth that’s out there. Treat people as if they are your own kids.
The backlash continued with others admonishing Republicans for hitting yet another new low in the morality department.
Others pointed out that Gus' reaction was a real human response to a proud and celebratory moment, regardless of his neurodivergent diagnosis.
The Minnesota Governor and his wife opened up about their son's neurodivergence in a profile for People magazine.
"When our youngest Gus was growing up, it became increasingly clear that he was different from his classmates," the couple told the magazine.
"Gus preferred video games and spending more time by himself."
They continued:
"When he was becoming a teenager, we learned that Gus has a non-verbal learning disorder in addition to an anxiety disorder and ADHD, conditions that millions of Americans also have."
According to the Cleveland Clinic, learning disabilities (LDs) affect how an individual's brain processes information, including how it acquires, organizes, retains, understands, and uses information.
The couple added:
"Like so many American families, it took us time to figure out how to make sure we did everything we could to make sure Gus would be set up for success as he was growing up."
"It took time, but what became so immediately clear to us was that Gus’ condition is not a setback — it’s his secret power."
Coulter has since deleted her post.
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