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.

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.

  • Media Bias Fact Checker@lemmy.worldB
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    27 days ago
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    https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/22/tim-walt-son-gus-walz-tears-melted-hearts-at-democratic-convention-dnc-critics-called-it-unmanly/74906490007/

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  • teft@lemmy.world
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    27 days ago

    They think him crying for an extremely emotional event is beta yet this is alpha:

    At least Gus was crying with happiness. Rittenhouse was crying in fear.

  • Funderpants @lemmy.ca
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    27 days ago

    My god the media is rubbish, “Trump came under fire in 2015 after he appeared to mock a New York Times reporter with a disability”. Like, are you kidding me? Are you fucking kidding me? Appeared my ass, he did mock a man with a disability, it isn’t a debate, or a perception, or the appearance, he did that shit.

  • carmanut@lemmy.world
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    27 days ago

    The summary doesn’t even mention that the poor kid has a nonverbal learning disability, anxiety, and ADHD, and these clowns are mocking him.

    • Maeve@kbin.earth
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      27 days ago

      It shouldn’t matter whether he is LD. No one should be bullied.

      Research shows that bullying behavior often stems from a combination of factors such as a desire for social dominance, a lack of empathy, or modeling of aggressive behaviors at home, said Kristen Eccleston, a former special education teacher and advocate for children with social-emotional needs.

      • bradinutah@thelemmy.club
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        27 days ago

        Too bad some people just don’t know about or choose to not follow the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

        • kautau@lemmy.world
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          27 days ago

          I think many people in fact actively get a high from feeling powerful, and therefore doing the exact opposite of what they want done to them, and then are usually the people to whine the loudest when anything of the sort happens to them.

          For example Trump’s speeches are like 85% insulting people, whining about those critical about him, etc. Huge middle school bully energy.

          • Maeve@kbin.earth
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            27 days ago

            Yes and there was recently a speech he gave whining about how he was treated.

            • frunch@lemmy.world
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              27 days ago

              Recently? I can’t recall a speech he’s given since he started running for president where he didn’t whine about perceived mistreatment

  • TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee
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    27 days ago

    You’re telling me the gutter of humanity couldn’t lift themselves out of the slime of division, hate, and bigotry to see a son who loves his father vibing and letting the love go in a great moment of high emotions?

    Color me shocked. Fucking weirdos.

  • AidsKitty@lemmy.world
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    27 days ago

    It’s odd to place the emphasis on your crying male child and then be appalled there is an emphasis on your crying male child.

    • 4lan@lemmy.world
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      27 days ago

      The kid stood up and owned his fierce emotions for his family. He displayed it instead of hiding it.

      You know Trump’s youngest is crying for completely different reasons while hidden away from the public for being on the spectrum

      • AidsKitty@lemmy.world
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        27 days 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?