Gus Walz won over the internet wearing his heart on his sleeve at the DNC. But the bullying that followed is what kids experience every day, some say.

A tearful, unscripted moment between Tim Walz and his 17-year-old son, Gus, has unleashed a flood of praise and admiration – but also prompted ugly online bullying.

Gus Walz, who has a nonverbal learning disorder as well as anxiety and ADHD, watched excitedly from the front row of Chicago’s United Center and sobbed openly Wednesday night as his father, the Democratic nominee for vice president, delivered his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.

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Conservative columnist and right-wing provocateur Ann Coulter mocked the teenager’s tears. “Talk about weird,” she wrote on X. The message has since been deleted.

Mike Crispi, a Trump supporter and podcaster from New Jersey, mocked Walz’s “stupid crying son” on X and added, “You raised your kid to be a puffy beta male. Congrats.”

Alec Lace, a Trump supporter who hosts a podcast about fatherhood, took his own swipe at the teenager: “Get that kid a tampon already,” he wrote, an apparent reference to a Minnesota state law that Walz signed as governor in that required schools to provide free menstrual supplies to students.

  • AidsKitty@lemmy.world
    110·
    3 months ago

    It’s a public event. The occurrence was blasted by the DNC. The son is open to praise or criticism just like anyone else. The rules didn’t change just because he is the potential VP’s son. Either you believe in equal treatment or preferential treatment?

    • 4lan@lemmy.world
      4·
      3 months ago

      All right man go ahead and try to paint this as something bad lol.

      When did I say no one was allowed to make fun of him? It’s just extremely cringy how you guys are trying to find anything you can to make it seem like you’re going to win

      You can go vote for your eyeliner wearing couch fucker 😂 The dude is a robot created by the RNC to push project 2025

      I’m going to vote for people that look and act like us normal Americans.

      Why do Republicans not understand that we have freedom of speech not freedom from consequences?
      We are allowed to make fun of you for anything you say, that is OUR freedom

    • Chapelgentry@lemmynsfw.comEnglish
      4·
      3 months ago

      I think it’s a matter of decorum. In general we shouldn’t attack people’s kids (when they’re minors) for normal occurrences, even if their a public figure.

      I was against bashing Barron when he was a minor, and I’m against bashing Gus until he’s of legal age. In general, however, I refrain from bashing people and would encourage the same decorum from others.

      Being able to criticize is not open license to do so in my opinion.