Former first lady Michelle Obama praised Gus Walz, the son of Vice President Harris’s running mate Tim Walz, after the 17-year-old went viral for his emotional response to his father’s speech at the Democratic National Convention this week.
“I was touched to see Gus Walz’s joy when his dad @Tim_Walz took the stage last night,” Obama posted Thursday night on the social platform X as Harris delivered the keynote speech at the convention in Chicago. “Thankful for you showing us all what real love looks like, Gus.”
Gus Walz became an online sensation Wednesday night when cameras caught him crying and pointing proudly at his father as the Minnesota governor delivered his speech accepting the party’s vice presidential nod.
“That’s my dad!” Gus Walz could be seen saying from the crowded floor at the United Center as his father paid tribute to his family.
The moment quickly spread across social media, with a number of high-profile political figures praising the high school senior.
Tim Walz and his wife Gwen recently told People magazine that Gus has a nonverbal learning disorder, in addition to ADHD and an anxiety disorder.
Obama’s tweet also comes after conservative commentator Ann Coulter drew criticism for a post on X mocking Gus Walz. She later deleted the social media post.
“Let’s be a nation that embraces this kind of warmth and vulnerability, instead of making fun or mocking it,” the former first lady wrote in her tweet Thursday. “We could all use some of Gus’s example in our own lives.”
Obama herself drew an ecstatic response for her speech at the convention Tuesday night, in which she excoriated former President Trump while urging Americans to come together and support Harris.