GOP military veteran lawmakers sign letter denouncing Walz

Fifty Republican members of Congress, all military veterans, have signed on to a letter to Gov. Tim Walz, condemning the Democratic vice presidential nominee for “egregious misrepresentations” of his military service and calling on him to “come clean.”

The letter, shared with POLITICO , is signed by members of the House and Senate across the spectrum of Republicans, including longtime die-hard supporters of former President Donald Trump and more moderate members from competitive House districts. It follows a statement signed Friday by 18 Democratic military veteran members of Congress defending Walz from attacks on his record.

Walz, who served 24 years in the Army National Guard, came under fire after being named Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate over several apparent inconsistencies concerning his time in the military.

“You have stated that you are ‘damn proud’ of your service, and like any American veteran, you should be,” the Republican members of Congress wrote, on a document with Trump-Vance campaign letterhead. “But there is no honor in lying about the nature of your service.”

Sens. Joni Ernst of Iowa, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Rick Scott of Florida and Roger Wicker of Mississippi signed the letter, and from the House, topping the list of signatures was Rep. Brian Mast of Florida, who lost his legs while serving in Afghanistan.

The list of House Republican veterans who signed the letter ranged from Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska to Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana, and included dozens of names in between.

“You have violated the trust of our brothers and sisters in arms,” the Congress members wrote. “Their blood, sweat, and sacrifice are the only reason our nation is able to exist. Until you admit you lied to them, there is no way you can be trusted to serve as Vice President.”

In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for Walz noted the recent statement from Democratic members of Congress supporting Walz as a “steadfast advocate for veterans and military families,” as well as an open letter released by the campaign last week featuring signatures of 1,000 military veterans.

The Harris campaign early on referred to Walz as a “retired Command Sergeant Major,” a rank he did achieve but was moved down to master sergeant before retiring in 2005. The campaign later updated his online biography .

And Walz in 2018 referred to “weapons of war, that I carried in war” when decrying gun violence, though he did not serve in a combat zone. A Harris spokesperson has since said he “misspoke” in saying he carried weapons in war, but that he did “handle weapons of war.”

Trump allies have also accused Walz of pulling out of his National Guard unit before it was to be deployed to Iraq in order to run for Congress, though Walz announced his campaign plans in 2005, months before his unit received a mobilization order.

Walz fielded accusations regarding his military service 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.

Trump, meanwhile, has also faced criticism in recent days from Democrats and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, after saying the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a civilian award, is “much better” than the Congressional Medal of Honor. Speaking at his golf club in New Jersey, Trump last week said members of the military who receive the Medal of Honor are “either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets, or they’re dead.”

VFW National Commander Al Lipphardt issued a statement calling Trump’s comments “asinine.”

Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, a Marine veteran, has been among the most vocal critics of Walz’s discussion of his military service, accusing Walz during a campaign stop of "stolen valor."

In response to the Republican criticism, Walz earlier this month fiercely defended his military service, saying “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,” Walz said at an event 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.”

Vance has continued to hit Walz on the issue.

“He has not spent a day in a combat zone,” Vance told reporters at a campaign event in Michigan earlier this month. “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.”