Rep. Derrick Van Orden to Newsmax: Walz Should 'Plead for Forgiveness'

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's allegation of stolen valor should disqualify him from public service and he should "plead for forgiveness," according to Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis.

"Tim Walz deployed to Italy in 2003, not 1943, and we need to remember that," Van Orden told Newsmax's "Wake Up America." "He has absolutely no place … he should rip the master sergeant stripes off his shoulder, throw them down, beg forgiveness to his fellow servicemen and women. He should go to every single Gold Star family … and plead for their forgiveness."

Van Orden did not mince words when it came to Walz's decision to retire early when his unit was set to be deployed to Iraq, calling it "absolutely unforgivable."

"He was the acting command sergeant major for his unit," he said. "That's the senior enlisted adviser for his unit. He found out that his unit was going to be deployed to combat in Iraq and he retired. That is a cardinal sin in the military."

The Wisconsin congressman said he was discussing the situation with his wife and other military spouses after allegations of Walz's stolen valor surfaced and found "they're more angry than the service members are" because they were left "wondering if their spouses are going to come back alive."

Van Orden also commented on the left's attempt to pump up Walz's military service record, while simultaneously minimizing the record of Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio.

"What they're trying to do is cover for Tim Walz," he said. "Tim Walz is a coward. J.D. Vance deployed to combat, and I don't care what capacity, he did.

"When you go to my office — please come by in D.C. — you'll see all the service symbols up there, or the seals, and on there is the Wisconsin National Guard. I have that right — next to all the active duty seals because the enemy doesn't care if you're a National Guardsman. The enemy doesn't care if you're a reservist."

"The American flag is what the enemy targets," he continued. "They couldn't target Walz's flag because he was in Minnesota. So, I really want to stress to everybody that — by him abandoning his men — he has abandoned and given up his ability for public service.

"I can't believe that he got elected to dogcatcher, let alone a congressman, and now he is the vice presidential candidate for the Democrat Party. These things are unforgivable."

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• CNN: 'No Evidence' of Walz's Combat Claims
• Minn. National Guard Disputes Walz's Military Biography