WISN's Jay Weber Apologizes Comments About Son of Tim Walz

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, August 23, 2024 | 10:55am CT

Jay Weber

On Wednesday, August 21, a video of Gus Walz, son of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D-MN), gained widespread attention after the teenager became emotional during his father's speech at the Democratic National Convention. The video shows the 17-year-old, who suffers from a non-verbal learning disorder, anxiety disorder and ADHD, fighting back tears and proudly shouting "That's my dad!" when his father expressed his love for his family.

The following day, 1130 WISN/Milwaukee host Jay Weber (pictured), faced backlash after he made disparaging comments about the teenager on social media. In a now-deleted post, Weber referred to Gus Walz using a derogatory term, calling the moment "embarrassing" for both father and son.

"Sorry, but this is embarrassing for both father and son. If the Walzs represent today's American man, this country is screwed: 'Meet my son, Gus. He's a [derogatory term]. His mother and I are very proud,'" Weber wrote.

After receiving criticism from listeners, Weber issued an apology, acknowledging that he had not realized the teenager had a disability. "I didn't realize the kid was disabled, and have taken the post down," he wrote. He further admitted that he had violated his own long-standing rule of keeping candidates' family members out of his commentary.

"I agree. In a moment of frustration on X, I broke one of my own long-standing rules when I saw the video. I've said 'the kids are off-limits' for decades, then fell into the trap myself," Weber admitted. "No excuses. Good reminder."

Weber also noted that he has been critical of Governor Walz since his selection as the Vice Presidential running mate on the Democratic ticket, accusing him of mismanaging Minnesota in various ways.