Emotional outpouring from Tim Walz’s family steals limelight at Democratic National Convention

It was Tim Walz’s big moment to persuade Americans why he should be their next vice president – but his family stole the show.

It was Democratic vice president nominee Tim Watz’s big moment to shine at the party’s convention on Wednesday, US time, but his son stole the show with an outpouring of emotion from the sidelines.

“That’s my dad!” his son Gus appeared to mouth, mid sob, as Tim Walz spoke at the Chicago event that could propel him and Kamala Harris to the White House.

Mr Walz’s 17-year-old son seemed genuinely overcome with pride the very second his father stepped in the stage.

At the same time, Mr Walz’s daughter Hope made a heart sign towards her father, a former teacher and veteran who is now the governor of Minnesota.

It was one of the most heartwarming and unscripted moments of the Democratic National Convention’s (DNC) third day which also included superstar power from Oprah Winfrey and a speech from former president Bill Clinton.

Minnesota Governor and 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz waves as he arrives onstage to speak on the third day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 21, 2024. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

Mr Walz spent the early part of his speech detailing the struggles of he and his wife Gwen’s struggles to conceive and how they turned to fertility treatment.

His Republican rival for the VP post, JD Vance, this week accused Mr. Walz of “lying” about him and his wife having IVF treatment.

Mr Walz hasn’t directly said he and his wife used IVF. But he has said spoken of IVF and his family’s fertility issues in the same sentence. They used artificial insemination.

During his speech, he was sure to refer to “IVF and fertility treatments”.

Some states have tried to limit IVF as an extension to anti-abortion policies.

Minnesota first lady Gwen Walz and her children Gus Walz and Hope Walz look on as Tim Walz speaks. (Photo by Andrew Harnik / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

“This is personal for Gwen and me,” said Mr Walz.

“If you’ve never experienced the hell that is infertility, I guarantee you know somebody who has.

“I can remember praying each night for a phone call, the pit in your stomach when the phone rang, and the absolute agony when we heard the treatments hadn’t worked.

“It took Gwen and I years but we had access to fertility treatments and when our daughter was born, we named her Hope.

“Hope, Gus and Gwen: you are my entire world and I love you”.

That was enough to send his family into floods of tears. His son Gus jumped to his feet, clapped, pointed at his dad and wiped away tears.

Gus Walz appeared to mouth “that’s my dad” while Hope Walz gave heart symbol. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)

The Walzs reunited on stage. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)

‘Better than dad’

Gus Walz, 17, is neurodivergent and specifically has ADHD and an anxiety disorder, his father has said,

His parents spoke about Gus’ ADHD inPeople magazine

“It took time, but what became so immediately clear to us was that Gus’ condition is not a setback — it’s his secret power,” the Walzs said.

Mr Walz said his sone was “brilliant”.

Gus’ no holds barred “that’s my dad” emotional outpouring won over the convention crowd in Chicago, and social media in general.

“Tim Walz was 100 per cent pitch perfect, grand slam, touchdown in every possible way,” posted former White House communications director Kate Bedingfield.

“And yet somehow Gus Walz was even better.”

TV commentator and former White House press secretary Jen Psaki proclaimed “Team Gus Walz”.

“Never seen anyone prouder of his father than this fine gentleman, what an overwhelming display of love and respect,” said another on social media.

“As a father of a child on the spectrum, if I’m ever in a situation where my son looks at me like Gus Walz looks at his father, I’ll know I’ve done my job and I can die in peace,” was another comment.

Tim Walz’s speech was the keynote address for the third day of the DNC. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)

‘Weird’

In a relatively brief speech by Mr Walz, some of the main speakers have spent almost an hour on the lectern, he laid into Donald Trump and Mr Vance’ and used using an epithet he has now made famous,

He refereed to the Project 2025 presidential transition plan from the right wing Heritage Foundation which sets out what Mr Trump could do in government.

“Here’s the thing, it’s an agenda nobody asked for … and serves nobody but the richest and most extreme among us.

“Is it weird? Absolutely. But it is also wrong and it’s dangerous.”

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Mr Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025 and has said that the plan would not be his plan if he took office. But many of the people who penned it were formerly in the Trump administration.

Mr Walz, who used to be a football coach, then did a lot of sports metaphors.

“You might not know it, but I haven’t given a lot of big speeches like this.

“But I have given a lot of pep talks. So let me finish with this, team: it’s the fourth quarter, we’re down a field goal, but we’re on offence and we’ve got the ball. We’re driving the field, and boy do we have the right team.

“We’ve got 76 days. That’s nothing. There’ll be time to sleep when you’re dead.”

Originally published as Emotional outpouring from Tim Walz’s family steals limelight at Democratic National Convention