The MVP of the Democratic National Convention on night three wasn’t VP candidate Tim Walz. It was, in fact, his son Gus Walz, who touched millions of hearts and tear ducts across the nation when he was shown weeping, standing up, and shouting, “That’s my dad!” during his father’s speech accepting the party’s nomination.
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Gus’s big moment came during a particularly emotional section of the governor’s speech, when he was talking about his and wife Gwen’s journey with infertility. Walz described the “hell” he and his wife went through when trying to start their own family, before they were finally able to conceive their daughter with the help of fertility treatments. “And we named her Hope,” Walz said, before the camera panned to his family in the audience. Hope Walz, a little teary-eyed herself, gave her dad a heart symbol with her hands, but it was her brother who seemed completely overcome. Gus stood up, clapping, and could be seen to shout, “That’s my dad,” while pointing to the stage with pride.
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If Tim Walz is America’s new dad, that was the moment when Gus Walz became America’s new little brother. Online, some people thought Gus’s emotional reaction reflects what a good father Walz must be. Others prepared to fight it out with any trolls who dared come for our baby bro. The majority of folks, like Gus Walz himself, were simply filled with emotion.
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For some, Gus even restored a little faith in humanity.
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Tim Walz has shared that Gus, who is 17, is neurodivergent. “When our youngest Gus was growing up, it became increasingly clear that he was different from his classmates,” Tim and Gwen Walz told People magazine in early August. “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.” The couple’s statement continued, “It took time, but what became so immediately clear to us was that Gus’ condition is not a setback—it’s his secret power.”
If we, as a country, agree on nothing else, let us agree on this one thing. Gus Walz must be protected at all costs.
The post Gus Walz, Son of Tim Walz, May Have United the Nation With His Tears at the DNC appeared first on Glamour.