To undercut Vice President Kamala Harris’ newly announced running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Republicans are attacking his military record. The allegations, which a closer look suggests are misleading or exaggerated, are a significant increase by the Trump campaign against the Democratic ticket.
The attacks began in earnest on August 7, when Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, President Donald Trump’s running mate, compared Walz’s to his own military experience. Before running for Congress, Walz served 24 years in the Army National Guard, while Vance served four years in the Marine Corps. No one saw the fight.
“When the United States Marine Corps, when the United States of America, asked me to go to Iraq to serve my country, I did. I did what they asked me to do, and I did it honorably, and I’m very proud of that service,” Vance said. “When Tim Walz asked his country to go to Iraq, you know what he did? He dropped out of the army and let his unit go without him.”
But Vance’s sweeping statement left out some key points. For example, Walz Retired in 2005It will be sent to Iraq two months before his unit receives formal notice. another one Republicans attack Walz’s service — that he Misrepresented himself As a retired command sergeant major – it’s more complicated: while he held the position at one point, his position was changed upon retirement because he Did not complete required coursework.
nevertheless Another demand of Republicans That Walz misrepresented his service by indicating in past statements that he once served in a war zone. In that case, the language he used seems to have been incomplete.
There is precedent for such attacks: Republicans appear to be adopting the same “swift-boating” tactics they once employed against former Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. A reference to the small speedboats used in the Vietnam War in which Kerry served, the campaign attempted to discredit his character by casting doubt on his account of his military service in Vietnam.
It should be noted that the architect of the campaign against Kerry Chris LaCivita – Now a prominent activist In former President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign.
Walz has faced questions about his military service before, where he became governor of Minnesota in 2018. Joseph Eustis, a 32-year veteran of the National Guard, told the Minnesota Star Tribune in 2022“He was a great soldier. When he chose to leave, he had every right to leave.”
The Harris campaign, for its part, responded by emphasizing Walz’s tenure and policy record. “After 24 years of military service, Governor Walz retired in 2005 and ran for Congress, where he was a tireless advocate for our men and women in uniform,” the Harris campaign told Vox in a statement. The campaign also points to Walz’s time as a ranking member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee and his support for funding and mental health resources for the military.
Claims, and facts we know, briefly explained
The claims Republicans have made about Walz have focused on three things: his decision to retire from the Army National Guard in 2005, his post-retirement status and a comment about carrying weapons “into combat.” Here’s what we know about each of them.
Claim 1: Walz retired from the Army National Guard to avoid serving in Iraq.
What we know: Notably, Walz retired May 2005Two months before his unit received an official deployment order to Iraq. He said this in 2009 Reasons for his retirement A run for the House of Representatives was to follow, which he won the following year, and to avoid conflict under the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from engaging in certain political activities.
Walz filed his run for office before the National Guard notified his unit of a possible deployment to Iraq. It is unclear whether, at the time, he already knew that a deployment might be a possibility.
Below is a more detailed timeline of how this all unfolded.
February 10, 2005: Walz files the papers The Federal Election Commission announced his candidacy for the House seat in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District.
March 17, 2005: National Guard members notified A deployment to Iraq is likely within the next two years. The Department of Public Affairs mentioned that 2,000 members May be sent from the Minnesota National Guard, which may include part or all of Walz’s battalion.
March 20, 2005: Walz issued a statement In response to the National Guard notice, he said he wanted to continue serving and continue his run for Congress.
“I do not yet know if my artillery unit will be part of this mobilization and I am unable to comment further on the specifics of the deployment,” he said. “As the command sergeant major, my responsibility is not only to prepare my battalion for Iraq, but also to serve when called upon. I am dedicated to serving my country to the best of my ability, whether it is in Washington DC or in Iraq.”
May 16, 2005: Walz has retired from the National Guard, according to a statement from the Minnesota Army National Guard CBS News provided.
July 14, 2005: Walz’s battalion receives an alert order to mobilize to Iraq.
March 2006: Walz’s unit is Deployed to Iraq.
Claim 2: D The Harris-Walz campaign misrepresented his title as a “retired command sergeant major.”
On the Harris campaign website And a Minnesota government website lists Walz as a “retired command sergeant major,” according to CBS News.
Republicans have argued that this is a misrepresentation of his title. That phrase is now done Changes to the Harris campaign website Note that this title was The highest rank he attained.
What we know: Walz actually rose to the rank of Command Sergeant Major. However, after he retired, his title was changed to Master Sergeant, because He did not complete the required coursework To retire on promoted title.
Consequently, it is correct to say that he was once a Command Sergeant Major, but not that he was a “Retired Command Sergeant Major”.
Claim 3: Walz misrepresented his involvement in the war in a speech about gun control.
“We can confirm that the weapons of war, which I carried into battle, are the only places where those weapons are,” Walz said in comments. About an assault weapons ban in 2018.
Vance argues that Walz’s statements imply that he was at war when he was not.
What we know: Walz was deployed to Vicenza, Italy in August 2003 as part of the National Guard as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. But a war was not in the area.
The statement’s phrasing in his gun control comments, which suggested he carried weapons “into battle,” was incorrect. While the operation he was part of is technically correct, it suggests an experience he did not have. Walz has openly admitted in other interviews He did not see combat during that deployment.
The Harris campaign emphasized Walz’s training with firearms in response. “In his 24 years on the job, the governor has carried, fired and trained others to use weapons of war countless times,” the Harris campaign told Vox in a statement. “Governor Walz would never disparage or belittle any American’s service to this country — in fact, he thanked Senator Vance for putting his life on the line for our country. It’s the American way.”
