In response to the controversy over Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz claiming he carried certain weapons “in war,” a spokesperson for the Harris-Walz campaign clarified on Saturday that Walz “misspoke.”
The Democratic vice-presidential candidate is facing scrutiny over the comments he made in a 2018 video about his military service, with conservatives blasting the governor for misrepresenting his service, suggesting he served in a combat zone when he did not.
The video, which was circulated by the Harris campaign earlier this week, shows Walz discussing gun control and referring to his military background, stating, “We can make sure that those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at.”
Walz served 24 years in the Army National Guard, including a deployment to Italy in 2003 to protect against potential threats in Europe while U.S. forces were active in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was never deployed to a combat zone.
“Governor Walz would never insult or undermine any American’s service to this country – in fact, he thanks Senator Vance for putting his life on the line for our country. It’s the American way,” campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt said in a statement. “In making the case for why weapons of war should never be on our streets or in our classrooms, the Governor misspoke. He did handle weapons of war and believes strongly that only military members trained to carry those deadly weapons should have access to them, unlike Donald Trump and JD Vance who prioritize the gun lobby over our children.”
JD Vance, the Republican vice-presidential nominee and a Marine Corps veteran, has criticized Walz for his comments, accusing him of “stolen valor” and misleading the public about his military service.
“What bothers me about Tim Walz is this stolen valor garbage. Do not pretend to be something that you’re not,” Vance recently said at a campaign event in Michigan.
Vance served in the Marine Corps for four years, but also never saw combat, working as a combat correspondent in Iraq between August 2005 and February 2006.
With News Wire Services
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