{"id":2323877,"date":"2024-08-13T14:41:58","date_gmt":"2024-08-13T18:41:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/winsome-sears-upset-over-walz-combat-claim-you-never-were-in-war-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-13T14:47:08","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T18:47:08","slug":"winsome-sears-upset-over-walz-combat-claim-you-never-were-in-war-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/winsome-sears-upset-over-walz-combat-claim-you-never-were-in-war-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Winsome Sears &#8216;upset&#8217; over Walz combat claim: &#8216;You never were in war&#8217; &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwinsome-sears-upset-over-walz-combat-claim-you-never-were-in-war-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2323877&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Virginia&#8217;s Lt.\u200d Governor Winsome Earle-Sears has criticized Minnesota Governor Tim \u200dWalz for his claims regarding his \u2064National Guard service, asserting he has never actually \u2063served in combat. Sears highlighted a 2018 video in which Walz spoke about weapons he carried in a war context, suggesting these comments may mislead listeners into believing he \u2064has combat experience. Sears, a \u200bMarine\u2062 veteran,\u200b expressed that\u200d many families of actual combat veterans would \u200bbe upset by\u2064 Walz&#8217;s statements, emphasizing the sacrifices and struggles faced by those who have served \u200din combat, especially concerning PTSD and suicide rates among veterans. She called out Walz for allegedly \u2062using a \u201cbackdoor process\u201d to\u2063 exit the military before deployment and urged him to refrain from making claims about war service that he has not earned. In\u200b addition to\u200b this controversy, Sears discussed \u200bbroader Republican strategies\u2063 for winning\u2063 Virginia \u200cin the upcoming election by focusing on policy issues, particularly\u200c energy independence and inflation.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Winsome Sears deeply &lsquo;upset&rsquo; over Walz combat claim: &lsquo;You never were in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-ian-fleming-birthed-james-bond\/\" title=\"How Ian Fleming Birthed James Bond\">war&#038;rsquo<\/a>;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1729148\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Lt. Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/winsome-sears\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Winsome Earle-Sears<\/a> (R-VA) criticized Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tim-walz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Tim Walz<\/a> (D-MN) for his past comments on his National Guard service, arguing Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Kamala Harris&rsquo;s<\/a> 2024 running mate has &ldquo;never&rdquo; faced combat in war.<\/p>\n<p>A 2018 clip of Walz shared by the Harris campaign showed the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/60-minutes-edits-exchange-with-fla-gov-desantis-reporter\/\" title=\"\u201960 Minutes\u2019 edits exchange with Fla. Gov. DeSantis, reporter\">governor speaking<\/a> against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gun-violence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>gun violence<\/a> and stating that &ldquo;weapons of war, that I carried in war&rdquo; only belong in war zones, a statement some have taken to imply that he served in combat. However, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/walz-national-guard-military-ae43d684bf1319e535f9f620552155d7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Walz himself has never served in a combat zone<\/a>, with Sears, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/marine-corps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Marine<\/a> veteran, stating many families of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/veterans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>veterans<\/a> who died in combat are likely joining her in being very &ldquo;upset&rdquo; and &ldquo;offended&rdquo; over Walz&rsquo;s comment.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;So forget about me. These families and those <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of President Trump\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">service members<\/a> who were in actual combat, who suffered so much, they&rsquo;re suffering from PTSD. We have a suicide crisis among our veterans who served in combat,&rdquo; Sears said on Fox News&rsquo;s<em> Jesse Watters Primetime,<\/em> guest-hosted by <em>Outnumbered<\/em> co-host Kayleigh McEnany. &ldquo;And for this man, who never served a day in combat, to talk about weapons that he carried in war? When did that ever happen, sir? And to take on a rank you never earned? Why are you doing that? Oh, what a tangled web they weave when they first practice to deceive.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 640px; max-height: 360px; min-width: 320px; min-height: 180px; overflow: hidden;\">\n<div style=\"position: relative; width: 100%; padding-top: 56.25%;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/share.grabien.com\/share.php?id=2546058&amp;userid=11311&amp;loginid=9421&amp;playercolor=%23000000&amp;playersize=auto&amp;code=03e5a6b712a56a75e455456dbaa2e0ac\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: 0px;\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Sears added she heard Walz had served honorably &ldquo;until he got into the war part,&rdquo; referring to how he left the National Guard before pursuing a congressional run. Former Minnesota National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Doug Julin, Walz&rsquo;s superior, has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3117493\/tim-walz-used-incorrect-backdoor-process-to-retire-from-national-guard-his-superior-officer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>stated that Walz used &ldquo;a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tim-walz-used-incorrect-backdoor-process-to-retire-from-national-guard-his-superior-officer-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Tim Walz used incorrect \u2018backdoor process\u2019 to retire from National Guard: His superior officer - Washington Examiner\">backdoor process&#038;rdquo<\/a>; to exit the military<\/a>, which he used shortly before deployment.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;You never were in war. Don&rsquo;t go there,&rdquo; Sears said regarding Walz.<\/p>\n<p>Sears was also asked how the Republican Party could win the state of Virginia in the 2024 election, which has not been won by the party <a href=\"https:\/\/www.270towin.com\/2004_Election\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>since 2004<\/a>. The lieutenant governor argued that the focus should be on &ldquo;policy, policy, policy&rdquo; and that Harris needs to be asked how she would make the United States energy independent and what her plans are to address <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/inflation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>inflation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In June, Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/glenn-youngkin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Glenn Youngkin<\/a> (R-VA) argued the strategy to win Virginia in the Election College <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3037104\/poll-virginia-voters-biden-weak-america-youngkin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>is by losing northern Virginia &ldquo;less badly.&rdquo;<\/a> He contended that this strategy helped him in the gubernatorial election in 2021, when he achieved an upset victory against former Gov. Terry McAuliffe.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Earlier this month, Youngkin issued an executive order to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3114829\/youngkin-issues-executive-order-to-strengthen-election-security\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>codify Virginia&rsquo;s &ldquo;election security procedures,&rdquo;<\/a> stressing the need to &ldquo;protect legal voters and accurate counts&rdquo; ahead of the November election. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3114722\/trump-praises-youngkins-election-security-measures-gop-eyes-flipping-virginia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Former President Donald Trump praised<\/a> the Virginia governor&rsquo;s steps to secure the election, as he has routinely argued he did not legitimately lose the 2020 election.<\/p>\n<p>Due to Virginia governors being limited to just one term, Youngkin will not be able to seek reelection in 2025. A poll released in April found that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/2957391\/poll-reveals-gop-favorite-replace-governor-youngkin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Sears is the favorite to succeed Youngkin<\/a>, getting a 28-percentage-point lead over Attorney General Jason Miyares (R-VA).<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1729148\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1729148\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R-VA) expressed her strong disapproval of Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) regarding his remarks about his National Guard service, asserting that he has &#8220;never&#8221; experienced combat. A video from 2018, circulated by the Harris campaign, features Walz discussing gun violence and claiming that &#8220;weapons of war, that I carried in war&#8221; should only be found in conflict zones\u2014comments some interpret as suggesting he served in combat. However, it is noted that Walz has not served in a combat zone. Sears, a Marine veteran herself, stated that many families of veterans who died in battle are likely feeling very &#8220;upset&#8221; and &#8220;offended&#8221; by Walz&#8217;s statements. She emphasized the struggles faced by those who have actually served in combat and suffer from PTSD or are affected by the veteran suicide crisis: \u201cFor this man who never served a day in combat to talk about weapons he carried? When did that happen? And to claim a rank he never earned? Why do this?\u201d she questioned during an appearance on Fox News\u2019s Jesse Watters Primetime.<\/p>\n<p>Sears remarked she had heard Walz had an honorable service record \u201cuntil he got into the war part,\u201d referring to his departure from the National Guard before running for Congress. Former Minnesota National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Doug Julin claimed Walz exited military service through \u201ca backdoor process\u201d just before deployment.<\/p>\n<p>Sears warned him not to make claims about having been at war: \u201cYou never were in war.\u201d She was also asked how Republicans could win Virginia in the upcoming 2024 election\u2014a state they haven&#8217;t won since 2004\u2014and suggested focusing on &#8220;policy.&#8221; She urged questions directed at Harris regarding energy independence and inflation solutions.<\/p>\n<p>In June, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) proposed a strategy for winning Virginia&#8217;s electoral votes by minimizing losses in Northern Virginia\u2014a tactic he credited with helping him secure victory over former Gov. Terry McAuliffe during the gubernatorial race of 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this month, Youngkin signed an executive order aimed at solidifying Virginia\u2019s election security measures ahead of November&#8217;s elections while emphasizing protection for legal voters and accurate vote counts\u2014steps praised by former President Donald Trump amid ongoing claims about election legitimacy issues from 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Due to term limits preventing reelection after one term as governor, Youngkin will not run again in 2025; however, polls indicate Sears is currently favored to succeed him with a significant lead over Attorney General Jason Miyares (R-VA)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2632,"featured_media":2323878,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/SearsWalz.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[38032,37484,38033,27318,38031],"class_list":["post-2323877","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-combat-claim","tag-military-service","tag-virginia-politics","tag-walz","tag-winsome-sears"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/SearsWalz.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2323877","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2632"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2323877"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2323877\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2323878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2323877"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2323877"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2323877"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}