Vice President Harris’ presidential campaign acknowledged on Friday that her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, “misspoke” about his military service, as critics increasingly accuse him of “stolen valor.”
“Governor Walz would never insult or undermine any American’s service to this country — in fact, he thanks Senator Vance for putting his life on the line for our country. It’s the American way,” Team Harris said in a statement to NBC News on Friday.
“In making the case for why weapons of war should never be on our streets or in our classrooms, the Governor misspoke. He did handle weapons of war and believes strongly that only military members trained to carry those deadly weapons should have access to them, unlike Donald Trump and JD Vance who prioritize the gun lobby over our children.”
Walz has been under pressure to clarify his military record after a 2018 video resurfaced in which he cited his National Guard career as a reason for supporting increased gun control. “We can make sure that those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at,” Walz said in the clip, which was posted to Harris’ campaign X account on Tuesday.
While Walz served 24 years in the National Guard, he never saw combat and retired from his unit shortly before they were deployed to Iraq. Walz stated that he left to run for Congress. Additionally, he has faced criticism from veterans for exaggerating his rank. Although he has long identified himself as a retired Command Sergeant Major, he was demoted to master sergeant upon his retirement.
Sen. JD Vance, former President Donald Trump’s running mate, has sought to capitalize on the controversy. “What bothers me about Tim Walz is this stolen valor garbage. Do not pretend to be something that you’re not,” the Marine veteran said. “I’d be ashamed if I was him and I lied about my military service like he did.”
