On a night known for the participation of Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder and former President Bill Clinton, it was a young Gus Walz who delivered one of the most memorable moments on the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz acknowledged his family from the stage during his acceptance speech as the Democratic Party's vice presidential pick.
"Hope, Gus, and Gwen. You're my whole world, and I love you," Walls said.
The scene quickly became a symbol of the DNC, a ray of strong human emotions – love and pride — shining through a national political organization.
According to People magazine, the Walz family recently addressed the "secret power" of 17-year-old Gus, whose neurodivergence includes a learning disability. They praised Gus as "an excellent son and brother" for his keen observation.
In 2019, Gus gained attention when it was revealed that he had held his father to a very personal campaign promise.
"I think it was March of '17 when Gus mentioned he always wanted a dog," Walz recalled to The Minnesota Star Tribune. "I told him, 'Gus, if we win the governor's race, we'll get a dog.'"
Gus didn't bring up the conversation again — until more than a year later when Walz won. At that time, Gus was 12 years old.
As the family watched the election results come in on election night, Walz recalled in 2019, "The moment the race was called on TV, Gus immediately screamed, 'Oh, now I get a puppy!'"
Gus named his dog, a black Labrador mix obtained from a shelter. He subsequently took on the responsibility of caring for Scout, which included morning walks and cleaning up after him.
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