Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the current VP pick for Kamala Harris, has been facing backlash on social media for characterizing himself as a victim amid accusations of “stolen valor.”
In a speech delivered at the AFSCME Convention this week, Walz attacked many of the claims made against him without specifically addressing the allegations. He instead talked about his 24 years of service in the National Guard (which nobody has disputed) and his work to help veterans in Congress. Without mentioning Trump VP pick JD Vance by name, Walz then said, “I am damn proud of my service to this country. And I firmly believe you should never denigrate another person’s service record. Anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country, I just have few simple words: thank you for your service and sacrifice.”
Walz: I firmly believe you should never denigrate another person’s service record. Anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country, including my opponent, I just have a few simple words. Thank you for your service and sacrifice pic.twitter.com/PcskL7zgiL
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 13, 2024
The speech prompted significant backlash on social media, especially from U.S. service members, because it obfuscated the claims that have been made against Walz. Retired Col. Rob Maness wrote on X: “Let me say this one more time. No one is denigrating his actual service record, they’re denigrating the lies he tells about his service record. Walz is dishonoring himself by embellishing his military service record for political gain.”
“It’s not ‘degrading someone’s service record’ to point out that they lied about serving in combat repeatedly,” said retired USAF pilot Dale Stark.
Let me say this one more time. No one is denigrating his actual service record, they’re denigrating the lies he tells about his service record. Walz is dishonoring himself by embellishing his military service record for political gain. https://t.co/pRBEdkVuRj
— Col. Rob Maness ret. 🇺🇸 (@RobManess) August 13, 2024
It’s not “degrading someone’s service record” to point out that they lied about serving in combat repeatedly. https://t.co/MvxHyxbXLI
— Dale Stark (@DaleStarkA10) August 13, 2024
he’s doubling down let’s gooooooo https://t.co/p4BUXjXPyp
— joshua steinman (🇺🇸,🇺🇸) (@JoshuaSteinman) August 13, 2024
It’s embarrassing @GovTimWalz represents Minnesota.
Walz appears now to be claiming to be a victim for getting called out for his repeatedly lying about numerous aspects of his military service for decades. https://t.co/a3Xyt9dr74
— RoadMN 📈 (@RoadMN) August 13, 2024
Nobody can take away your veteran status. You earned that status, @Tim_Walz.
But you’re out of your mind if you think it’s anything but f’d up to lie about going to war and serving in combat. That’s a special kind of bullsh!t and it’s absolutely disgusting. #VeteransForTrump https://t.co/KckaYLr4ld
— 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 (@whoa_rob) August 13, 2024
Walz is the one who denigrated his own service by quitting and then lying about his rank and what he did while serving. https://t.co/O3QkBpqUgE
— alexandriabrown (@alexthechick) August 13, 2024
If this guy would’ve admitted he made a mistake, owned up to it, and said he was sorry, this whole thing would be behind him.
Good teaching moment for the kids, regardless of which side of the aisle you’re on. https://t.co/NTyaWICWz3
— Matt Birk (@BirkMatt) August 13, 2024
Bro, this ain’t going to work. You lied & got caught & now you’re pouring more fuel on the fire. Good job 👍 https://t.co/143Z9Nu3X4
— kc2fargo (@kc2fargo) August 13, 2024
No one is denigrating his actual service record, they’re denigrating the lies he told about his service. There is a difference. You just don’t lie about your service, ever. #VeteransForTrump https://t.co/QD1BfKENqu
— The Constitutionalist 🇺🇸 (@WeWillBeFree24) August 13, 2024
Tim Walz now playing the victim: “These guys are even attacking me for my record of service.” pic.twitter.com/v0TD9Xym7N
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) August 13, 2024
Walz is now the victim. “These people are now attacking me”
He is the one who stole valor! pic.twitter.com/eGjRlP3RwG— Matt Batzel (@MattBatzel) August 13, 2024
Tim Walz wants us to give him a big thank you for his service instead of pointing out how he fabricated his service record.
This Marine Corps veteran says kick rocks. ##StolenValor https://t.co/2KCoGx5tI3
— Gunnery Sergeant Jessie Jane Duff (@JessieJaneDuff) August 13, 2024
Others came to Walz’s defense with the belief that his response addressed the issue.
There’s no good response to that from Republicans.
It was an abysmally bad strategy. This is the absolute best response to that. Conservatives are cooked https://t.co/3e5sRePmh8— 📺CornPop🍿 (@cornpopspopcorn) August 13, 2024
Oh man Walz knows when to go high and when to go low. Iced this https://t.co/U1N0q5A895
— GSB 🌴 (@Gsb_Esq) August 13, 2024
This is a real leader. Let’s get him to the White House!#HarrisWalz2024 https://t.co/EhRiKNdUxN
— Just Rae (@raeraeco) August 13, 2024
Since Kamala Harris announced Walz as her running mate, the Democrat from Minnesota has increasingly been scrutinized for claims of “stolen valor.” As Breitbart News reported, Walz “listed on his official biography a higher military rank than the one he ultimately retired with, drawing criticism from some veterans”:
After reports surfaced questioning his use of rank, the Kamala Harris campaign altered its official website’s biography of Walz by removing its reference to him as a “retired command sergeant major” and only noting that he once served at the command sergeant major rank.
According to CNN, Walz encountered criticism of his service characterizations going all the way back to 2006 during his run for U.S. Congress, which he denied at the time.
A viral video, which the Kamala HQ account on X originally shared on Wednesday, featured Walz touting gun control before saying he carried a weapon in war:
I spent 25 years in the Army, and I hunt … I’ve been voting for common-sense legislation that protects the Second Amendment, but we can do background checks. We can do CDC research … We can make sure that those weapons of war that I carried in war is the only place where those weapons are at. [Emphasis added]
The Harris-Walz campaign later said he misspoke when he made that statement, even though Walz himself reposted the video just days prior to him being tapped as Kamala Harris’s VP pick.
It’s true. I’m a veteran, a hunter, and a gun owner. But I’m also a dad. And for many years, I was a teacher.
I know basic gun safety isn’t a threat to my rights. It’s about keeping our kids safe.
I had an A rating from the NRA. Now I get straight F’s. And I sleep just fine. https://t.co/R3ZX4A35GB
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) July 27, 2024
A subsequent report from the Washington Free Beacon also claimed that Walz had previously presented himself as a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom. Per Breitbart News:
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), who is facing accusations of stolen valor, allegedly falsely claimed in a previous press release that he was a veteran of Afghanistan.
In a 2006 press release issued by his campaign, Walz was described as being a “veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom.”
The war in Afghanistan, which began on October 7, 2001, was called Operation Enduring Freedom, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command website. The operation’s start came after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
“Democrat Tim Walz will spend Sunday, Feb. 19th and Monday, Feb. 20th traveling across Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District as he formally announces his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives,” the press release said. “Walz, a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and longtime Mankato educator is unopposed for the DFL endorsement and is slated to challenge Rep. Gil Gutknecht in November of 2006.”
A photo at the time featured Walz at an anti-President George W. Bush protest in which he was seen carrying a sign that read, “Enduring Freedom Veterans for [John] Kerry.”
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