Gus Walz didn’t pay any mind to people who criticized him for getting emotional during his dad’s appearance at last summer’s Democratic National Convention.

Talking to “CBS Mornings” for his first public interview, the son of Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) said he simply “ignored” mean-spirited comments after his reaction to his father accepting the nomination for vice president went viral.

At last August’s convention, the 18-year-old cried as he stood up, pointed and said, “That’s my dad!” when his father took the stage. While some were touched by the high schooler’s family pride, others mocked him for his raw response.

Asked about the backlash, Gus Walz told “CBS Mornings,” “I just continued to do what I do. I just blocked it out ’cause I was just being emotional. Like, there’s nothing wrong with showing emotions and if people are gonna say there’s something wrong with that, then those are not the people that I want to be associated with.”

The governor’s son also remembered how “crazy” it was to see his dad in the spotlight.

“It’s super overwhelming, ’cause to me, he’s just regular old dad,” he said. “Just normal dad. Golfs with me, make food, clean the cars, everything like that. And in that moment, it was something bigger. It was just surreal.”

During the interview, Gus Walz also opened up about living with ADHD, an anxiety disorder and a nonverbal learning disorder.

“We figured out I have challenges, but also strengths,” he said, noting how “routine” and “consistency” help him thrive.

The first lady of Minnesota, Gwen Walz, also dispelled some misconceptions about nonverbal learning disorders, which she said can make “reading facial cues, or understanding vocal tone or understanding gestures” difficult but does not mean her son is unable to speak.

“I just try and let people know that I might struggle in this area, and I might be super strong in this area,” Gus Walz said.

Watch the full interview here.