Less than a week has passed since Vice President Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate in the 2024 presidential race. However, Walz’s military background, typically an asset in a campaign, has come under attack from Republicans.
The controversy began when a 2018 video, revived by the Harris campaign, showed Walz discussing his views on gun control. In the clip, Walz stated, “We can make sure those weapons of war that I carried in war are only carried in war.”
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Before entering politics, Walz served 24 years in the Army National Guard and was deployed to Italy in response to the 9/11 attacks. Some Republicans are now using Walz’s remarks about the weapons he “carried in war” to question his integrity and even accuse him of stolen valor.
During a recent campaign event, Republican VP candidate JD Vance criticized Walz, alleging that he never went to war and deserted his unit before their deployment to Iraq in the early 2000s, where Vance had served as a Marine. Vance reiterated these claims in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash.
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Vance clarified that he is not criticizing Walz’s service but rather his alleged misrepresentation of his military background for political gain.
The Harris campaign admitted that Walz “misspoke” in a statement to CNN. Transportation Secretary and Navy veteran Pete Buttigieg defended Walz on CNN’s “State of the Union,” condemning Vance’s comments as disrespectful towards a fellow veteran.
