J.D. Vance Melts Down Over Questions About His Military Record

Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance seems perfectly happy to dish out criticism of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz over his military record, but he just can’t take it.

Vance blew up at CNN anchor Brianna Keilar on Thursday, after she called Vance an “imperfect messenger” to criticize Walz over his military service.

“At what point did military service become a liability?” Keilar asked rhetorically on CNN’s Inside Politics. “I also think that J.D. Vance as a messenger on this may be an imperfect messenger.”

Vance served a single four-year enlistment in the public affairs section in the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, and according to his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, the Republican nominee was “lucky to escape any real fighting.” Still, that hasn’t stopped Vance from accusing Walz, who served with the Army National Guard for 24 years, of exiting the service before his unit was deployed to Iraq.

Walz actually left his unit months before it received a mobilization order for Iraq. The unit deployed to Iraq almost a year after Walz retired.

Keilar, who is married to an active duty Green Beret, took issue with how Vance’s own military service was being framed.

“You introduced him as a combat correspondent, which was what his title was, but when you dig a little deeper into that, he was a public affairs specialist, someone who did not see combat, which certainly the title ‘combat correspondent’ kind of gives you a different impression. So he may be the imperfect messenger on that,” Keilar said.

Keilar conceded that, “At the same time, then you have this argument going on where it seems to be, ‘Did you really serve your country unless you were shot at a lot?’ And I just think that’s a very, kind of, gross place to be because there is so much service and sacrifice that goes on in the military.”

Apparently Vance was incensed by Keilar’s criticism, which had been startlingly similar to his own.

“It’s easy to sit in the comfort and safety of a @CNN studio and trivialize the service of countless men and women who risked their lives. I served with some of the people mentioned in this thread. I miss them all very much. Shameful of @brikeilarcnn to slander an entire MOS,” Vance wrote in a post on X, referring to military occupation specialty.

But Vance felt perfectly comfortable questioning the legitimacy of Walz’s service just days before.

“When were you ever in war?” Vance demanded at a Michigan rally on Wednesday. “What bothers me about Tim Walz is this stolen valor garbage. Do not pretend to be something that you’re not.”