Walz accusations of 'stolen valor' prompt battle between House veterans
'The veterans' community is incensed right now,' says GOP Rep Mike Waltz, a former Green Beret
By Elizabeth Elkind Fox News
Published August 9, 2024 2:51pm EDT
Controversy over Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s military service record is at the heart of Capitol Hill’s latest political firestorm, with veterans on both sides of the aisle chiming in on the new Democratic vice presidential candidate.
Republicans are accusing Walz of misrepresenting details about his 24-year career in the National Guard — GOP lawmakers who served in the military have attacked him for leaving the National Guard to run for Congress shortly before his unit deployed to Iraq.
Democratic veterans in Congress jumped to his defense, pointing out that Walz served past his 20-year retirement eligibility mark and dismissing the GOP attacks as baseless.
"The veterans' community is incensed right now that Tim Walz refuses to answer questions about his military record," Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., the first former Green Beret elected to Congress, told Fox News Digital. "[He] has misled voters about his military rank, and it appears he abandoned his men prior to their deployment to Iraq. We expect leaders to lead by example and this ain’t it."
Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., a retired Navy SEAL who served multiple combat tours, told Fox News Digital, "He abandoned his soldiers and their families at the time they needed him most, before a combat deployment. He sat on the sidelines in Minnesota as his soldiers risked their lives in Iraq. This is a Cardinal Sin for anyone that has served our nation honorably. God forbid he is ever a heartbeat away from becoming the Commander in Chief."
The Harris campaign countered the GOP offensive with a press call hosted by House Democratic military veteran Reps. Jason Crow, D-Colo.; Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass.; and Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J.
"We have officers and enlisted who have all said he’s an exemplary, admirable soldier," said Auchincloss, a former Marine, adding that attacks against Walz were cast "in bad faith."
Crow, a retired Army Ranger, said, "It just shows how morally bankrupt they are. They have no ideas. They have no vision for the future. All they can do is attack and lie and twist and contort."
The controversy kicked off when Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, former President Trump’s running mate and a former Marine, accused Walz of "stolen valor."
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