Tim Walz’s 17-year-old son, Gus, made headlines with an emotional display of family loyalty during his father’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
After Waltz described the painful journey of starting a family through fertility treatments, television cameras focused on Guss, who, in tears, rose to his feet, pointed to the stage and mouthed, “That’s my dad.”
The moment overshadowed other parts of the Democratic vice presidential nominee’s widely praised 17-minute speech and captured the attention of television commentators and social media.
“Tim Waltz was 100% perfect in his pitch, a grand slam, a touchdown in every sense of the word, but somehow Gus Waltz was even better,” posted former White House communications director Kate Bedingfield.
“I love Gus Waltz,” former White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on MSNBC. “Just talking about him makes me ugly cry.”
Dana Bash said on CNN, “This is a moment that everyone will see, clip and save. I don’t know if there’s anyone who wasn’t moved by this moment. What a great moment in American life.”
The moving scene also caught the attention of conservative Fox News, where hosts Martha MacCallum and Dana Perino spoke about it.
Even before what has now become a defining moment, Gus seems to have understood the symbolism and political impact of his father’s words.
“Gwen and I took years to conceive, but we were able to undergo fertility treatments, and when our daughter was born, we named her Hope,” Waltz told the crowd, as a tearful Gus pointed meaningfully to his 23-year-old sister, who was sitting next to him.
As Waltz delivered his next line, he stood up, put his hands over his chest and mouthed, “That’s my dad,” “Hope, Gus, Gwen, you guys mean my world, and I love you guys.”
After the speech, Gus came onstage with his mother and sister and hugged them, burying his face in his father’s shoulder.
Tim Waltz, a former teacher, and his wife, Gwen, recently revealed that their son, Gus, has a non-verbal learning disability, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and anxiety disorder.
In a recent statement to People magazine, the couple said they were aware of Gus’s illness from an early age but never thought of it as a disability.
“Like many American families, we took some time to think about how we could do all we could to help Gus grow and succeed,” they said.
“It took time, but we soon discovered that Gus’ symptoms weren’t a disability, but his secret power.”
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