On Aug. 21, Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention, vice presidential candidate Tim Walz appeared alongside his family as he officially accepted his party nomination as Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election. But it was his son’s reaction to his speech that really stole the show.
Don’t get me wrong, Walz’s DNC speech was a noteworthy one, in which he covered a range of topics such as his teaching career, his path to running for Congress, his experience governing in a deep red state, and Project 2025. He also discussed the importance of reproductive rights, during which time he spoke about abortion as well as IVF and fertility treatments. He made clear how painful it was for him and his wife, Gwen, in their journey to conceive their two children, Hope and Gus. But it was when he shouted out his family directly that people really took note of. “Hope, Gus, and Gwen, you are my entire world, and I love you,” Walz said. In response, his son got to his feet and was in tears. He then looked around the crowd, then pointed back at his dad and seemingly said, “That’s my dad!”
I’m not crying, you are.
Following the heartfelt moment, many took to social media to express their feelings about it. “You know you’ve done well as a parent when your kids are as proud of you as Gus and Hope are of Tim Walz,” Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar tweeted about the moment. “’That’s my dad.’ No three words better describe our next Vice President.”
Another X user wrote, “Tim Walz’s son just ripped my heart RIGHT OUT OF MY CHEST GEEZUS 😭.”
Here’s What To Know About Gus Walz.
Gus Walz, 17, was raised in southern Minnesota. He’s Tim and Gwen’s second child, after their 23-year-old daughter, Hope. Gus has recently come into the spotlight ever since his dad was named to Harris’s ticket. In an August interview with People, Tim and Gwen shared that Gus has a non-verbal learning disability, as well as anxiety and ADHD. They believe Gus’s disability is a superpower. “It took time, but what became so immediately clear to us was that Gus’s condition is not a setback — it’s his secret power,” Tim told People. Both Tim and his wife Gwen are extremely proud of their son, and Gus’s reaction to his dad’s DNC speech just shows the sentiment goes both ways.
There Are Even More DNC Highlights To Know About.
The DNC has had many memorable moments so far, like Michelle Obama’s speech on Night 2, in which she got an instant standing ovation and made a powerful jab at former president and current Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump: “For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us. His limited, narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who happen to be Black,” Obama said about herself and her husband, former president Barack Obama. “Who’s going to go tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those ‘Black jobs’?” There was also an appearance from Oprah, who gave a full speech on Aug. 21, as well as a performance from Stevie Wonder.
So far, the DNC has been star-studded, and therefore stacked with endorsements from household name celebrities. With still another night to come, only time will tell what the DNC finale will bring.