Gov. Tim Walz honors neurodivergent son Gus and reveals infertility struggles in moving DNC speech

Walz also described himself as a gun-owning public school teacher and U.S. National Guard veteran.

As Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accepted the vice presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), his family, including his emotional 17-year-old son Gus, watched from the audience.

Social media posts capture Gus crying as his father took the stage in Chicago Wednesday night. An MSNBC clip on X (formerly Twitter) shows Gus, alongside the governor's teary-eyed wife, Gwen, both clapping and visibly moved.

During his speech, Walz shared his and Gwen’s challenges with infertility while discussing their 23-year-old daughter, Hope, who was also present. The governor briefly acknowledged his family, saying, "Hope, Gus and Gwen, you are my entire world, and I love you." Gus was seen again crying and cheering after his father’s mention, pointing to the stage and seeming to say, "That's my dad."

Walz has previously disclosed that Gus has a "non-verbal learning disorder," ADHD, and an anxiety disorder. Following the speech, Newsweek contacted Walz’s campaign for comment.

Walz has been open about his family’s infertility struggles, particularly in response to Senate Republicans blocking a June bill that aimed to protect access to IVF and other fertility treatments—a move supported by Democrats after the Supreme Court overturned federal abortion protections two years prior. Walz and Gwen used intrauterine insemination (I.U.I.) to conceive Hope, a different procedure from IVF.

In his speech, aligned with the DNC's third night theme of "fight for our freedoms," Walz criticized conservative policies banning books on sexuality and diversity from public school libraries. He also renewed his criticism of former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance, calling them "weird."

Walz emphasized his working-class, Midwestern background and military service, describing himself as a gun-owning public school teacher and U.S. National Guard veteran. He concluded with a sports metaphor, saying, "It's the fourth quarter, we're down a field goal. But we're on offense and we've got the ball," and praised Kamala Harris as part of the "right team."

Reacting to Walz's speech on Fox News, Vance criticized Walz for defending Harris, stating, "Day One of her administration was 1,300 days ago, and she hasn't done anything." Vance accused Walz of offering "rhetoric and generalized" promises rather than concrete achievements.