Donald Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, intensified his attacks on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz regarding Walz’s military service. Vance accused Walz, without presenting evidence, of dodging service in Iraq after he left the Army National Guard in 2005 to run for Congress.
Vance further alleged that Walz falsely claimed to have served in a combat zone while being part of the Army National Guard. Although Walz retired two months prior to his unit receiving deployment orders to Iraq, these attacks are central to an ongoing effort from both political parties to define Walz, who was recently selected as Kamala Harris’s running mate. Walz’s 24 years of military service are highlighted by the Harris campaign as appealing to voters, while Republicans attempt to frame him as disconnected from average citizens.
At a campaign event in Michigan, Vance criticized Walz for what he described as abandoning his unit before its deployment to Iraq. “When the United States Marine Corps asked me to go to Iraq to serve my country, I did it honorably. When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq, you know what he did? He dropped out of the Army,” Vance said.
Records show that Walz retired from the Army National Guard in May 2005, and his unit received its alert orders to deploy to Iraq two months later, in July. The unit ultimately mobilized for training at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, before being deployed in March 2006.
Vance also accused Walz of being “dishonest” about his military service, specifically pointing to comments Walz made regarding gun control. Vance referenced a campaign video in which Walz discussed a shift in his stance on assault weapons after the 2018 Parkland shooting, asserting that the weapons he carried in war should not be on the streets in America.
The Minnesota National Guard has stated that Walz deployed with his unit to Vicenza, Italy, as support for the war in Afghanistan but did not serve in a combat zone in either Iraq or Afghanistan. In response to Vance’s criticisms, a Harris campaign spokesperson emphasized Walz’s extensive military training and experience with weapons of war.
Vance, who served as a combat correspondent in the Marine Corps and was deployed to Iraq, defended his own service and called into question Walz’s record. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to Vance’s remarks by highlighting Walz’s commitment to service from a young age, his work as a high school teacher and coach, and the strength of his military record.
This is not the first time Walz’s military record has come under scrutiny, as his 2022 gubernatorial campaign faced similar criticisms. Walz defended his service and proudly acknowledged his 24 years in the National Guard. Concerns have also been raised about the rank at which he retired; while he achieved the rank of command master sergeant, he officially retired as a master sergeant due to not completing required coursework.
Joseph Eustice, a veteran who led the same battalion as Walz, defended him during the previous campaign, stating, “He was a great soldier.”
The article has been updated with new developments.