Former First Lady Michelle Obama criticized the negative reactions to Tim Walz's son Gus at the Democratic National Convention (DNC). On Thursday, August 22, Michelle Obama took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to talk about the emotional moment between Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz and his son during Wednesday's DNC.
During the DNC on Wednesday, August 21, Gus, who had a non-verbal learning disorder, was visibly emotional when his father proclaimed his love for him, his sister Hope, and his wife Gwen. Gus's reaction triggered a lot of praise but also criticism from many including conservative political commentator Ann Coulter. The former First Lady wrote in Thursday's tweet:
"I was touched to see Gus Walz’s joy when his dad @Tim_Walz took the stage last night. Thankful for you showing us all what real love looks like, Gus."
She further noted:
"Let’s be a nation that embraces this kind of warmth and vulnerability, instead of making fun or mocking it. We could all use some of Gus’s example in our own lives."
"That’s my dad!": Gus Walz got emotional during his dad Tim Walz's DNC speech
Wednesday night's Democratic National Convention saw Minnesota Governor Tim Walz officially accepting the role of Democratic Presidential candidate Kamala Harris's running mate in the upcoming November 2024 elections. The Governor's wife Gwen and children Hope and Gus were both present in the audience at Chicago's United Center during his speech.
While on stage, Walz acknowledged his family in a touching moment. The Democratic Vice Presidential candidate said:
"Hope, Gus and Gwen, you are my entire world, and I love you."
Hearing his father's powerful words, Gus, a high school senior with a non-verbal learning disorder, became visibly emotional. Cameras captured Gus standing up from his seat next to his mother and sister in tears and applauding his father. He could also be seen pointing at Tim Walz and proudly stating:
"That’s my dad!"
Once Tim Walz's speech was over, 17-year-old Gus along with the rest of Walz's family climbed on stage and Gus wrapped his arms around his father in a tight hug as the audience applauded the moment between the young man and his father. The moment quickly went viral making Gus a national sensation.
However, a few people did not approve of Gus's show of emotion and criticized the boy. Conservative commentator Ann Coulter took to X and posted a link to an article about Gus's moment during the DNC. She captioned her tweet:
"Talk about weird…"
A slew of backlash awaited Ann Coulter who has since deleted the tweet. In a later reply to a user who speculated that Coulter could have taken down the tweet after learning Gus had autism, she replied:
"Correct. I took it down as soon as someone told me he’s austistc, but it’s Democrats who go around calling everyone weird thinking it’s hilariously funny."
When yet another user joked about being able to pick up the Hammer of Thor if you successfully pressured Ann Coulter to delete a tweet Coulter replied that she didn't see any pressure and that it was a friend who told her about Gus's condition while she was on vacation.
However, unlike Coulter's claims, Gus was not diagnosed with autism. In a statement shared to People magazine by Gus's parents on August 22, it was revealed that the 17-year-old had a non-verbal learning disorder, alongside an anxiety disorder and ADHD. Gwen and Tim Walz proclaimed their love for Gus in the statement and wrote:
"We are proud of the man he’s growing into, and we are so excited to have him with us on this journey."
An August 23 NBC Health News report stated that non-verbal learning disorder was sometimes misdiagnosed as autism spectrum disorder. Columbia University's Director of the Environment, Brain, and Behavior Lab, Amy Margolis said that although both disorders had overlapping traits, the underlying neurobiology differed between the conditions.