Tim Walz's Son Gus Walz Has a Learning Disorder That He Calls His Son's "Secret Power"

There's no denying that for the four-day long Democratic National Convention event, all key politicians' families are in the spotlight even more than usual. And that goes for Governor Tim Walz's family too, including son Gus Walz, who stood up to tearfully cheer on his dad when Tim spoke at the DNC. And in the past, Tim has been open about his son's learning disorder, his diagnosis with ADHD, and the fact that Gus is non-verbal, which is not to be confused with non-speaking.

By sharing his son's learning disorder with the public, Tim might be able to relate to potential voters in a major way, since they are things that people of all ages live with every day. Gus's learning disorder, including a diagnosed anxiety disorder, are what Tim once called his son's "secret power" in a statement to People.

At the DNC on Aug. 21, both of Tim's kids, Gus and Hope Walz, were seen in the audience cheering on their dad through tears. And when Gus stood up to tearfully shout, "That's my dad!" he elicited tons of new support for the vice presidential candidate. He then joined his dad on-stage, along with Hope and their mom Gwen Walz, and he locked hands with his dad and continued to shout support.

On Aug. 7, 2024, Tim and Gwen shared a statement with People wherein they explained Gus's diagnosis and abilities from a young age.

"When our youngest Gus was growing up, it became increasingly clear that he was different from his classmates," they said in the statement. "Gus preferred video games and spending more time by himself."

The couple also shared: "When he was becoming a teenager, we learned that Gus has a non-verbal learning disorder in addition to an anxiety disorder and ADHD, conditions that millions of Americans also have."

After Gus's emotional appearance at the DNC, those who already supported Tim took to Twitter to share a newfound support and appreciation for Gus. And, aside from supporting his learning disorders, which they do, these supporters are all for Gus showing his love for his dad in such an open way.

One user tweeted, "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 one thing... I've done my job and I can die in peace."

Another person on Twitter shared: "Gus Walz doesn't know this yet, but he may have just inadvertently delivered us from a [second] Trump presidency. There is no way that anyone watched that child's reaction to seeing his dad on stage and not immediately know that Tim Walz is the real deal."

Those are some pretty strong words, but it's clear that Gus's reaction to his dad caused a chain of reactions among Walz supporters.