Yikes: Walz Nodded in Agreement When Interviewer Wrongly Said He Served in Afghanistan

Tim Walz nodded in agreement in 2016 when an interviewer incorrectly stated that the Democrat served in Afghanistan during his service in the National Guard.

At the time, Walz was serving in Congress — he’s been Minnesota governor since 2019 — and he joined CSPAN to discuss opposition to then-President Barack Obama reducing troop levels overseas.

“Enlisted in the Army National Guard at 17 and retired 24 years later as Command Sergeant Major and served with his battalion in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan,” the interview said at the time, according to a new report from ABC News.

The resurfaced clip has been highlighted by critics as Walz has faced scrutiny over his military service. Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance has go so far as accusing Walz of “stolen valor” over a clip where Walz claimed to have carried “weapons of war” in war.

Walz served 24 years in the National Guard and was deployed to Italy as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

ABC News included the CSPAN clip as part of a larger report shining a light on multiple instances involving Walz that have led to confusion about his service, including him saying he retired at a rank he achieved but did not actually retire as. This is due to the fact that Walz did not have enough time in the rank to retire with it.

From ABC:

While there is no evidence that Walz has committed the crime of stolen valor, an ABC News review of hours of footage from his past interviews and speeches, along with years of records from his initial campaigns, shows that journalists, some of his colleagues in the National Guard, and even voters have sometimes been left with an inaccurate picture of his military service that has led to criticism dating back years.

These inaccuracies, which at times went uncorrected, include Walz not denying the statement that he served in Afghanistan, and Walz repeatedly saying that he retired with a rank he achieved but did not retire with, as well as an instance in 2018 of Walz claiming that he carried weapons of war “in war,” about which the Harris-Walz campaign said that he misspoke.

Walz defended his military service while speaking this week in Los Angeles and thanked Vance for his as the Republican served in the Marines.

“I am damn proud of my service to this country. And I firmly believe you should never denigrate another person’s service record,” Walz said. “Anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country, including my opponent.”

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