Veterans in Congress are entering the fray surrounding the military record of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, accused the Democrat of "stolen valor," reported The Hill.
Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday named Walz as her running mate. On Wednesday, Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, called out Walz during a presser, Mediaite reported.
Both men served in the military: Walz in the National Guard and Vance in the Marines. Vance questioned Walz's bona fides.
"Well, I wonder, Tim Walz, when were you ever in war? When was this? What was this weapon that you carried into war, given that you abandoned your unit right before they went to Iraq, and he has not spent a day in a combat zone?"
"What bothers me about Tim Walz is the stolen valor garbage. 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," Vance said.
Vance's comments are in response to a clip of Walz on social media discussing gun control, in which he said, "We can make sure those weapons of war, that I carried in war, are only carried in war," The Hill reported.
Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, criticized Walz for his comments in a post on X.
"I proudly served 20 years in the U.S. Navy, with multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq - retired as a Master Chief. Yes, that makes me the highest ranked enlisted service member to EVER serve in Congress. A claim Gov. Walz has falsely paraded around. It’s important to call out DISHONESTY. Tim Walz should immediately be WITHDRAWN as the Vice President Nominee," he wrote.
Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., an Army veteran who lost both legs in combat, wrote in a post on X, "Tim Walz abandoned his fellow soldiers on the heels of their deployment to Iraq. He chose Congress over combat. He is unfit to be anywhere near the commander-in-chief."
Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a Marine Corps veteran, also took to X, but to share his frustration with Vance, asking when he and former President Donald Trump were "going to stop denigrating the men and women who honorably serve our country."
"JD knows personally that signing up to serve does not always mean you see combat — 90% of servicemembers don't," he wrote.
In a separate post, Moulton wrote: "I'm proud to have served in the House alongside @Tim_Walz because I’m proud of his service as a true American patriot."
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., a Navy veteran, also came to Walz's defense during an interview with CNN.
"It's reminiscent of the swift boat bulls*** that Sen. [John] Kerry faced in his election. We're seeing the same type of people try to reignite this same kind of slanderous campaign against a man who served for 24 years in the National Guard," she said.
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