Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign acknowledged on Friday that her running mate, Governor Tim Walz, “misspoke” about his military service amid rising accusations of “stolen valor.”
Walz has been under scrutiny to clarify his military record after a 2018 video resurfaced in which he cited his National Guard service as a basis for advocating for stricter gun control.
In the video, which was shared on Harris’ campaign X account earlier this week, Walz said, “We can make sure that those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at.”
Though Walz served 24 years in the National Guard, he never saw combat and retired from his unit shortly before they were deployed to Iraq, a move he said was to pursue a run for Congress. He has also faced criticism for allegedly exaggerating his rank, having long identified himself as a retired Command Sergeant Major, despite being demoted to master sergeant upon his retirement.
A squad mate of Walz in an interview said about Walz: “If he had gone to Iraq, he would have been hiding under a desk.”
Senator JD Vance, who is running as former President Donald Trump’s vice-presidential candidate, seized on the controversy, stating, “What bothers me about Tim Walz is this stolen valor garbage. Do not pretend to be something that you’re not. I’d be ashamed if I was him and I lied about my military service like he did.”