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.

…

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.

    • Dud@lemmy.worldEnglish
      25·
      2 months ago

      Well not to be overly pedantic just because you say you’re not trying to criticize them doesn’t mean you weren’t. As for your message it seems to be lasered focused the kid’s level of ablelism which is a valid point but it doesn’t invalidate the above comment.

      • EleventhHour@lemmy.world
        53·
        2 months ago

        If you’re claiming to know my intentions and thoughts better than I, myself, do, then I suggest you open a psychic hotline.

        Otherwise, perhaps acknowledge that, perhaps, you might just be wrong.

        • Dud@lemmy.worldEnglish
          34·
          2 months ago

          Or just become hostile and defensive that works too. Hopefully the rest of your day goes better.

          • EleventhHour@lemmy.world
            33·
            2 months ago

            You’re the only one who’s hostile, making false accusations and pretending to be able to read minds, then refusing to admit that you might be wrong

            Go troll someone else

            • Dud@lemmy.worldEnglish
              34·
              2 months ago

              Well I wasn’t attempting to troll just have a dialogue like but I’ll go look for a bridge to go under then.

              Edit I just noticed you went through and down voted like all of my comments. That’s kind of petty.