Does Tim Walz’s son Gus have a learning disorder?

U.S. politics have made a shift in recent years, ditching the dry days of old to welcome in a far more celebrity-enriched future.

As politicians like Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and now Kamala Harris take the stage, they’re greeted like Taylor Swift on the last leg of a worldwide tour. They’ve become celebrities in their own right, just ones without any upcoming films or television shows to beef up their resumes. 

It’s a strange era to be in, as we elevate our politicians to starbound status, but it’s starting to get a bit old. Don’t get me wrong, the furor around the Harris campaign is exceedingly welcome after the despair of early 2024, but it’s the Democrat nominee’s running mate who really displays what we want from our national leaders.

In a word, Tim Walz is normal. He’s a regular guy with an ordinary background, but a spectacular future. He’s a veteran, a teacher, and a football coach, and — perhaps most importantly — he’s a dad. Walz’ status as a parent have been a major talking point this election cycle, largely because his kids were conceived with the assistance of fertility treatments. Those kiddos are Walz’ pride and joy, that much is clear, as is their delight at watching their dad take the national stage.

Does Gus Walz have any learning differences?

Tim Walz took to the stage on the third night of the 2024 DNC and delivered a stirring speech that zeroed in on the everyman appeal that’s made him so popular among voters. His family sat in the front row during his address, and the youngest Walz child, Gus, quickly stole the spotlight with his reaction to his dad’s big night.

High school senior Gus was absolutely bursting with pride as his dad took the stage, and he openly wept joyful tears through much of his speech. Noting “that’s my dad” as he gestured up to the wholesome man on stage, Gus became the standout moment of the night, as he underlined the approachable, kind nature that makes Walz such a good running mate to Harris.

His beautifully emotional reaction to his old man took center stage, as did discussions of the young Walz’ learning differences, and the skill and compassion with which his parents navigated them. Gus is neurodivergent and thriving, despite several learning hurdles, thanks in large part due to his mom and dad’s approach to parenting.

The Walz family recently revealed that Gus lives with an anxiety disorder, ADHD, and a nonverbal learning disorder. The latter relates to people who struggle to process non-verbal cues — think visual and social patterns, or some of the nebulous concepts present in the sciences and math — and often hit snags with organizing information. It can lead to reduced social skills and physical clumsiness, largely because kids with NLD have a difficult time wrapping their brains around distance and how things take up space.

His diagnosis clearly hasn’t slowed Gus down, however. He’s a capable and intelligent kid, and one with the compassion of his pops leaking out his ears. His tearful reaction to his dad’s speech was quickly a sticking point for viewers, most of whom heaped praise on the 17-year-old for providing a clear example of wholesome masculinity. Even as the toxic right works to twist the narrative into a criticism, dozens of people still in touch with their humanity swept in to reinforce that we need more men like Gus and Tim Walz.