Walz defends military service record after Vance ‘stolen valor’ accusation

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz fiercely defended his military service on Tuesday following a barrage of Republican attacks, arguing “you should never denigrate another person’s service record.”

“I’m going to say it again as clearly as I can: I am damn proud of my service to the country,” the Democratic nominee for vice president said during the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees 2024 convention in Los Angeles. “To 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.”

Walz’s comments mark the first time he has publicly defended his military record after Republican Sen. JD Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, alleged last week that Walz misconstrued his military experience and accused him of “stolen valor.”

“He has not spent a day in a combat zone,” Vance told reporters at a campaign event in Michigan on Wednesday. “Do not pretend to be something that you’re not. … I’d be ashamed if I was him and I lied about my military service like he did.”

In the week since Vice President Kamala Harris announced him as her running mate, Walz's 24-year record in the Army National Guard has become a target of attack from Republicans. The accusations were spearheaded by Vance, who criticized the timing of Walz’s retirement from the military as a means of avoiding deployment to Iraq. There is no evidence that Walz retired to avoid a wartime deployment. Neither Walz nor Vance, who served in the Marine Corps for four years, have combat experience.

Walz filed paperwork in February 2005 to run for Congress, a month before the Minnesota National Guard was informed that it might be deployed.

“With my dad’s encouragement, a guy who served in the army during the Korean War, I signed up for the Army National Guard two days after my 17th birthday,” Walz said Tuesday. “I served for the next 24 years for the same reason that all my brothers and sisters in uniform do. We love this country. Then in 2005, I felt the call of duty again, this time to be in service to my country in the halls of Congress.”

Vance responded to Walz’s comments Tuesday on X, writing that Walz “shouldn't have lied” and “said you went to war when you didn’t,” adding that he’s “happy to discuss more in a debate.”

Harris originally agreed to an August vice presidential debate on CBS when she was President Joe Biden’s running mate, but neither Vance nor Walz have announced a set date for a debate.

Walz’s military rank has also come under scrutiny after the Harris campaign updated its online biography last week to replace a description of Walz as a “retired command sergeant major” with “served as a command sergeant major,” POLITICO reported.

Walz has fielded accusations regarding his military service before, during his 2018 race for governor. A paid letter to the editor written by two retired command sergeant majors alleged that Walz misrepresented his rank during the campaign.

“These guys are even attacking me for my record of service,” Walz said Tuesday. “I just want to say, I’m proud to have served my country, and I always will be.”

Myah Ward contributed to this report.