Waltz discussed his childhood in small-town Nebraska, his military service, and his time working as a high-school teacher and football coach, but the most effective and emotional picture of the man was painted not by him, but by his 17-year-old son, Gus. The teenager's openness in showing love for his father—his tears of pride, his sobbing with joy—spoke volumes about the closeness of the Waltz family. It spurred the kind of heartstring-tugging that the DNC exists for.
Young Gus was on his feet cheering alongside mom Gwen and sister Hope in the audience as his father talked about public school teachers and respecting individual privacy. Then, as his father shared with the country the fertility struggles he and his wife had endured, Gus sat silently, his mother’s arm around him. 'Hope, Gus, and Gwen, you are my entire world and I love you,' Waltz told his family.
The line brought Gus to his feet and caused his lips to start quivering. Applauding along with the arena crowd, Gus then put his hand on his heart, pointed to his dad on stage, and shouted, 'I love you' in return. 'That’s my Dad!' he then declared proudly, showcasing a rare and powerful symbol of positive teenage masculinity.
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