Fifty GOP lawmakers who served in the military have signed a document to Democrat vice presidential candidate Tim Walz condemning him for making "egregious misrepresentations" about his 24 years in the Army National Guard.
The document was sent under a letterhead from the campaign of GOP nominee Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, reports Politico on Wednesday, after obtaining a copy of the letter.
The GOP lawmakers' move comes after congressional Democrats last week signed a statement calling for attacks on the Minnesota governor's service record to stop.
Walz has been under fire over several questions concerning his military service, including his retiring rank and statements indicating he served in a combat role.
"You have stated that you are 'damn proud' of your service, and like any American veteran, you should be," the Republicans said in the letter, adding that "there is no honor in lying about the nature of your service."
Among the letter's signers were GOP Sens. Joni Ernst, Iowa; Roger Marshall, Kansas; Rick Scott, Florida; and Roger Wicker, Mississippi.
From the House, the list of signatures was topped by Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., who lost his legs while serving in Afghanistan. Other lawmakers signing it included GOP Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Ryan Zinke of Montana.
The lawmakers also told Walz in the letter that he had "violated the trust of our brothers and sisters in arms."
"Their blood, sweat, and sacrifice are the only reason our nation is able to exist," the letter said. "Until you admit you lied to them, there is no way you can be trusted to serve as Vice President."
A spokesperson for Walz, when asked for comment, pointed to the statement from congressional Democrats that supported him as a "steadfast advocate for veterans and military families," as well as an open letter the campaign released last week containing the signatures of 1,000 military veterans.
The controversy involves the campaign referring to Walz as a "retired command sergeant major." He had reached that rank before he retired but later was reclassified as a master sergeant. The campaign has updated his online biography.
Walz also in 2018, while speaking out about gun violence, referred to "weapons of war, that I carried in war," when he never served in a combat zone.
He also came under criticism for retiring from the National Guard to run for Congress before his unit was to be deployed to Iraq.
Walz announced his campaign plans in 2005, months before his unit received a mobilization order.
Vance, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, has been among Walz's strongest critics, accusing his Democrat rival of being guilty of "stolen valor."
Walz has defended his military service, insisting that "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 earlier this month 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."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.