Gus Walz, the 17-year-old son of Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz, charmed DNC viewers during his father’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
As Tim Walz shared the personal journey of his family’s struggles with fertility treatments, the focus shifted to his son Gus, who was visibly moved. Tears streamed down Gus’s face as he stood up, pointed to the stage, and mouthed, “That’s my dad.”
This poignant moment quickly became the highlight of the convention, eclipsing even Tim Walz’s highly praised 17-minute address. Social media and TV commentators were abuzz with reactions to the touching display.
Kate Bedingfield, former White House communications director, tweeted, “Tim Walz was 100 percent pitch perfect, grand slam, touchdown in every possible way. And yet somehow Gus Walz was even better.”
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Jen Psaki, former White House press secretary, expressed her admiration on MSNBC, saying, “I love Gus Walz. I’m going to start ugly crying just talking about him.”
CNN’s Dana Bash described the moment as a standout, stating, “That is the clip-and-save moment that everyone is going to be seeing. If you didn’t get moved by that moment, I don’t even know. What a remarkable moment just in American life.”
Even Fox News hosts Martha MacCallum and Dana Perino acknowledged the emotional impact of Gus’s gesture.
Before this unforgettable moment, Gus had already shown an understanding of the speech’s significance. As his father spoke about their daughter Hope, born after years of fertility treatments, Gus, overcame with emotion.
“It took Gwen and I years to conceive, but we had access to fertility treatments and when our daughter was born, we named her Hope,” Walz told the crowd. At that point, Gus, already in tears, pointed meaningfully to his 23-year-old sister sitting beside him.
Following the speech, Gus joined his family on stage, embracing his father with heartfelt emotion.
Tim and Gwen Walz, both former teachers, recently shared that Gus has a non-verbal learning disorder, ADHD, and an anxiety disorder. Despite these challenges, they view his condition as a unique strength.
In a statement to People magazine, the Walz family reflected on their journey: “It took time, but what became so immediately clear to us was that Gus’ condition is not a setback – it’s his secret power.”
Watch touching video below:
