Gus Walz speaks for the first time about his viral DNC moment: ‘I was just being emotional'
In his first-ever interview, Gus Walz explained his instantly viral moment at the Democratic National Convention in August when his father, Gov. Tim Walz, accepted the nomination for vice president. Gus pointed at his father, stood up and, with tears in his eyes, said, 'That's my dad!'
'I was just being emotional,' Gus, 18, said in a 'CBS Mornings' interview that aired Monday. 'There's nothing wrong with showing emotions.'
During the interview, Gwen Walz explained that Gus was diagnosed with a nonverbal learning disorder, ADHD and an anxiety disorder in the sixth grade.
The experience brought the pair closer than ever and Gus said his mom is his best friend.
'Routine really helps me, you know. Consistency. So I think my mom and me were, like, 'All right, let's go in. Let's go try and figure some stuff out.' And that's really kind of what started us getting super, super close,' Gus said. 'Whatever I need, my mom's there. She's the most important person in my life.'
Here's what else Gus had to say during the interview:
'It was crazy. And I'm looking at my mom and I'm like, you know, that's my dad. He's right there. He's right in front of America. All these people chanting our last name, it was super overwhelming. Because to me, he's just regular old dad, you know, just normal dad. Golfs with me, makes food, cleans the cars, everything like that. And in that moment it was something bigger. It was just surreal.'
'I just kind of ignored it, I guess, was the only way to put it. I just continued to do what I do. I just blocked it out because I was just being emotional. Like, there's nothing wrong with showing emotions and if people are going to say there's something wrong with that, then those are not the people that I want to be associated with. So, I kind of just blocked that out.'
'I think some people think I'm a little slow and, like, I'm not like a normal kid. And I think that I'm one of the most normal people that you could find … I am a normal kid who likes to play volleyball, loves his family, loves his friends and likes to help people out.'
'There's definitely some big strengths … I'm really good at making relationships with people. One of the things I'm not as good at is picking up on non-verbal cues like when somebody, you know, says they're done or they're ready to be done. Sometimes I can't tell if they're being serious or not.
Public media outlets MPR and TPT brace for federal funding cuts
MN moves to strengthen DWI laws after fatal St. Louis Park crash
With one week left, what's happening with the MN budget at the Legislature?
Walz signs bill expanding support for service dogs in training
Gov. Walz encourages legislators, and anglers, to get the lead out
'Like a volleyball ref. Sometimes I'll do something wrong and they'll go up and they'll be like, 'All right, you've got to knock that off.' But I'm like, oh they're just messing. And then I'll go back and I'll do it again and get in a little bit more trouble. So what I've learned is a strength for me is to make that relationship before the game. So I'll go up and greet the ref before the game and be like hey this is me.'
'There's a promposal going on after. I've been talking to this girl. Her name's Eleanor. Really nice girl. And I'm going to ask her to prom.' (She said yes.)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
7 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
In the aftermath of Trump's victory, California Democrats vow to remain firm on their values
In the aftermath of Democrats' widespread electoral failures last year, party activists in California who gathered for their annual convention this weekend struggled with balancing how to stick to their values while also reconnecting with voters who were traditionally part of their base — notably working-class Americans. California's progressive policies and its Democratic leaders were routinely battered by Republicans during the 2024 election, with then-vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris taking the brunt of it. Harris ultimately lost the election to Trump, partly because of shrinking support among traditional Democratic constituencies, including minorities and working-class voters. 'We got to be honest in what happened, because losing elections has consequences,' said Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris' running mate, during a rousing speech Saturday afternoon. 'We're in this mess because some of it's our own doing. … None of us can afford to shy away from having hard conversations about what it's going to take to win elections.' Walz, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, said Democrats don't need to retreat from their ideals, such as protecting the most vulnerable in society, including transgender children. But they need to show voters that they are capable of bold policy that will improve voters' lives rather than delivering incremental progress, he said. 'The Democratic Party, the party of the working class, lost a big chunk of the working class,' he said. 'That last election was a primal scream on so many fronts: do something, do something, stand up and make a difference.' California is home to the most Democrats in the nation as well as a large number of the party's most deep-pocketed donors, making the state a popular spot for presidential hopefuls from across the country. In addition to Walz, another potential 2028 White House candidate who addressed the 4,000 delegates and guests at the Anaheim Convention Center was New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. Booker argued that Democrats must remember the courage of their ancestors who fought for civil and voting rights and created the social safety net for the most vulnerable Americans as they try to fight Trumpism. 'Real change does not come from Washington. It comes from communities. It comes from the streets,' he said in a Saturday morning speech. 'The power of the people is greater than the people in power.' Harris, who is weighing a 2026 gubernatorial run and is also viewed as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, addressed the convention by video. Gov. Gavin Newsom, also viewed as a possible White House contender, did not appear at the convention. Delegate Jane Baulch-Enloe, a middle school teacher from Pleasant Hill in the Bay Area, said she wasn't sure that California's particular brand of liberalism will sell on the national stage. 'I don't know if a California Democrat can win a presidential election,' she said as she and her daughter sorted through swag and campaign fliers in the convention cafe. 'California is thought of as the crazy people. ... I don't mean that in a bad way — though I know some people do — but we do things differently here.' She said she learned from President Obama's memoir, 'Audacity of Hope,' that most, if not all, Americans 'want the same things,' but talk about them differently and have different approaches for getting there. California Democrats, Baulch-Enloe said, 'need to get people on our side and help them understand that we aren't just wacko liberals, and teach people that it's okay to want things' like healthcare for all and high union wages. But the 2028 presidential race was not the focus of this year's California Democratic Party convention. Delegates were more concerned about last year's presidential and congressional losses — though California was a rare bright spot for the party, flipping three districts held by the GOP — and preparing for next year's midterm elections. Delegates hope Democrats will take control of Congress to stop Trump from enacting his agenda. Aref Aziz, a leader of the party's Asian American Pacific Islander caucus, said the party needed to sharpen its messaging on economic issues if they want to have a chance of victory in coming elections. 'When it comes to the affordability issue, when it comes to economics, those are the things that across the broad spectrum of our coalition, all those things matter to everybody,' Aziz said. 'And what really is, what really is important is for us to focus on that economic message and how we're going to improve the quality of life for everyone in these midterm elections and future presidential elections.' He noted he was in France on his honeymoon recently, and was strolling through a grocery store and buying half a dozen eggs for 1.50 euros (the equivalent of $1.70) when the news broke that California's economy had grown to the fourth largest in the world. 'When you look at a lot of our economies, California and New York, by all accounts, GDP, the numbers that you look at, they're doing great,' he said. 'But when it comes to the cost that consumers are paying in these places, they're so high and so far above other countries that we end up diminishing whatever value there is in our GDP, because everything's so expensive.' Some Democrats questioned the impact of the weaponization of California's liberal policies, including defending transgender rights, on voters in battleground states in 2024. But delegates and party leaders largely argued that the state needs to continue to be on the vanguard of such matters. 'People like to point a finger somewhere, and I think California is an easy target, but I disagree,' said delegate Melissa Taylor, president of our local Foothill Community Democrats. 'Because I think that California is standing up for values that the Democratic Party believes in, like we believe in labor, we believe in healthcare, we believe in women's rights, we believe in rights for LGBTQ people.' Jodi Hicks, the president of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, said issues such as reproductive healthcare access also have an economic impact. 'We have to walk and chew gum at the same time,' she said, adding that the party's 2024 losses were likely prompted by multiple factors, including Harris' being the Democratic nominee for a little over three months after then-President Biden decided not to seek reelection. 'We're going to be analyzing 2024 for a very long time,' Hicks said. 'It was such unique circumstances.' Times staff writer Laura J. Nelson contributed to this report.
Los Angeles Times
9 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Broadway star Patti LuPone apologizes for ‘demeaning' and ‘disrespectful' comments
Twenty-five years ago, on a warm summer night in Los Angeles, Broadway stars Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald closed a show at the Hollywood Bowl with back-to-back encores of 'Get Happy'/'Happy Days Are Here Again.' Today, those happy days appear to be over for the two Tony Award winners. In a May 26 interview with the New Yorker, LuPone ignited a firestorm when she referred to McDonald as 'not a friend' and refused to comment on McDonald's celebrated performance in 'Gypsy.' (McDonald is nominated for a 2025 Tony Award in the category best actress in a leading role in a musical — its her 11th nomination.) LuPone also referred to Tony winner Kecia Lewis, who, like McDonald, is Black, as a 'bitch.' Speaking with Gayle King in a 'CBS Mornings' clip, McDonald sounded surprised by LuPone's comments. 'If there's a rift between us, I don't know what it is,' she said. 'That's something that you'd have to ask Patti about. I haven't seen her in about 11 years, just because I've been busy, just with life and stuff. I don't know what rift she's talking about. You'd have to ask her.' (A full interview is set to air this week, according to a 'CBS Mornings' Instagram post.) Following public backlash, however, LuPone did something she rarely does. The outspoken diva apologized. But that was not without some stage direction. In an open letter from her colleagues in the theater community dated May 30, more than 500 actors, including Tony-winning actors Wendell Pierce, James Monroe Iglehart and Maleah Joi Moon, called LuPone's language 'racialized disrespect,' 'bullying' and 'harassment.' They asked the American Theatre Wing and Broadway League to discourage those who disparage fellow artists, including LuPone, from attending industry events 'including the Tony Awards, fundraisers, and public programs.' (The 2025 Tony Awards are scheduled for June 8 in New York, and will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+.) On Saturday, LuPone responded to the criticism in a statement on her Instagram account: 'I am deeply sorry for the words I used during The New Yorker interview, particularly about Kecia Lewis, which were demeaning and disrespectful. I regret my flippant and emotional responses during this interview, which were inappropriate, and I am devastated that my behavior has offended others ...' She went on to write that she hopes to speak to McDonald and Lewis in person. LuPone is well-versed in calling people out herself, particularly audience members who text during her theater performances. Last year, she even complained about noise from the Alicia Keys musical 'Hell's Kitchen' when she was performing in 'The Roommate' with Mia Farrow next door. After LuPone asked the theater owner to fix the sound because she found it to be too loud, Lewis took offense and posted a video on Instagram, describing LuPone's actions as 'bullying,' 'racially microaggressive' and 'rude and rooted in privilege.' She also noted that 'calling a Black show loud dismisses it.' Last year, Lewis won a Grammy for best musical theater album and a Tony in the category best performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical for 'Hell's Kitchen.' Although flippant, LuPone's words only serve to hurt everyone during a turbulent time for the arts in America, the open letter said. 'Our industry is under threat. The arts are being defunded, theater programs are disappearing, and artists are being pushed to the margins. We need each other now more than ever. We need community. We need leadership. And we need accountability.' Humbled, LuPone agreed. 'I wholeheartedly agree with everything that was written in the open letter shared yesterday,' she wrote. 'From middle school drama clubs to professional stages, theatre has always been about lifting each other up and welcoming those who feel they don't belong anywhere else. I made a mistake, and I take full responsibility for it, and I am committed to making this right. Our entire theater community deserves better.'
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jamie Oliver reveals recent diagnoses in his "neurodiverse family" as he embarks on a mission to get better support
Jamie Oliver has been incredibly open about how his dyslexia has affected him throughout his life, especially during his education, and has consistently advocated for better support for neurodivergent children. It seems, however, that the celebrity chef isn't the only member of his family to grow up with a learning difference, as he revealed that some of his children are in the same situation. In a brand new interview with The Sunday Times, the 50-year-old shared that there have been various diagnoses of dyslexia, ADHD and ASD (also known as autism spectrum disorder) in his "very neurodiverse family" over the last year. Though he did not go into any more detail than this, he said that he and his wife Jools have in fact "learned to understand that their [children's] behaviour is because they're seeing things differently," and that "being aware of that allows you to be a better parent". Jamie also called his family life "amazing but bonkers", joking: "Imagine four neurodiverse people at the dinner table trying to get their point across." He further rebuked the attitudes taken towards neurodivergence by older generations, saying: "Older people tend to have the 'we didn't have that when we were young' attitude. We just didn't know as much about our brains 30 years ago." The celebrity chef has been working on an hour-long documentary for Channel 4 called Jamie's Dyslexia Revolution, which will explore the challenges facing dyslexic children and interrogate what the British government can change to support them within education. Jamie also opened up about the emotional toll that making the documentary took on him, telling the publication: "I'm unpacking quite a lot of stuff. I thought I'd buried it but it's hitting a nerve. Genuinely, of all the things I've ever done, this documentary is the most viscerally painful. "I've seen so many high-flying, talented, grown men cry about this – I've just done it to you [referring to his crying during the interview] – the concept of being worthless [when you're] young is real. It's really triggering." Though the father-of-five has been vocal and open about his struggle with the learning difficulty, especially during his school days, for a long time, he only received his official diagnosis in January of this year.
