{"id":2328282,"date":"2024-08-21T11:03:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-21T15:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-veteran-lawmakers-denounce-walz-over-military-record-claims-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-21T11:08:59","modified_gmt":"2024-08-21T15:08:59","slug":"gop-veteran-lawmakers-denounce-walz-over-military-record-claims-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-veteran-lawmakers-denounce-walz-over-military-record-claims-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP veteran lawmakers denounce Walz over military record claims &#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\">24<\/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%2Fgop-veteran-lawmakers-denounce-walz-over-military-record-claims-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=2328282&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>Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, is under \u2063fire from Republican lawmakers for allegedly misrepresenting his military service. A group of 50\u2064 GOP\u200d congressional veterans \u200bhas accused Walz of &#8220;egregious misrepresentations&#8221; \u2062and called on him to &#8220;come clean&#8221; about \u200bhis <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sickening-to-watch-deadly-piers-morgan-blisters-mma-match-featuring-openly-transgender-fighter\/\" title=\"\u2018Sickening To Watch,\u2019 \u2018Deadly\u2019: Piers Morgan Blisters MMA Match Featuring Openly Transgender Fighter\">military record<\/a> in a letter sent to him. The letter accuses\u200c Walz of falsely claiming to\u200b be a &#8220;Retired Command Sergeant Major,&#8221; a rank he held before \u200dbeing demoted to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-republicans-demand-space-force-commander-be-reinstated-after-being-fired-for-criticizing-marxism\/\" title=\"House Republicans Demand Space Force Commander Be Reinstated After Being Fired For Criticizing Marxism\">master sergeant<\/a> upon retirement, and of misrepresenting his service during combat. The\u200b criticism intensified\u200d when Vice President Kamala Harris&#8217;s campaign described\u2062 Walz using the misleading rank early on, though they \u2064later updated his bio.\u200d <\/p>\n<p>Walz has previously faced\u2062 scrutiny\u200b for comments regarding &#8220;weapons\u2064 of war,&#8221; which \u2063he claimed to have carried\u2063 in combat despite not\u200c having served\u2062 in a combat zone. The \u2062GOP lawmakers assert that such claims \u200bdishonor the sacrifices of real veterans. Additionally, they criticized him for\u200b abandoning his National Guard \u2062unit\u200c before its deployment to run for\u2064 Congress, an accusation that the Trump campaign has leveraged against him. The allegations reflect ongoing\u2063 tensions as Walz navigates his \u2063military narrative amid his political campaign.  <\/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\">GOP veteran lawmakers denounce Walz over &lsquo;egregious&rsquo; military record claims<\/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_1734825\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Democratic vice presidential nominee <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3127320\/walz-headaches-harris-misleading-ivf-military-claims\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Tim Walz<\/a> is facing heat over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/3129001\/veterans-house-senate-condemn-walz-stolen-valor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>his portrayal of his military service<\/a>, with several dozen Republican veterans in Congress denouncing the Minnesota governor and demanding he &ldquo;come clean.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In a letter sent to Walz on Wednesday, a group of 50 GOP lawmakers in Congress condemned him for his &ldquo;egregious misrepresentations&rdquo; of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/3114388\/walz-military-service-record-under-scrutiny-2024-race-heats-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>his military record<\/a> and for &ldquo;lying about the nature of your service.&rdquo; The letter, sent on Trump-Vance letterhead, was signed by four senators and 46 representatives, ranging from those who are staunch allies of former President Donald Trump to centrist GOP incumbents in swing districts.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;You have stated that you are &lsquo;damn proud&rsquo; of your service, and like any American veteran, you should be,&rdquo; the letter reads. &ldquo;To be blunt, when you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/military-veterans-call-out-democratic-candidate-over-stolen-valor-at-memorial-event-demand-apology\/\" title=\"Veterans slam Democratic candidate for &#039;Stolen Valor&#039; at memorial event, seek apology\">falsely claim military service<\/a> that did not happen and abandon your post, you diminish the real sacrifices made by veterans who did serve in combat. Military service is not merely a job or a uniform.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The letter comes after Vice President Kamala Harris&rsquo;s campaign referred to Walz early on as a &ldquo;retired Command Sergeant Major&rdquo; in its bio of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/joe-biden-knows-he-messed-up-on-fracking-at-debate-and-is-now-doing-damage-control-the-daily-wire\/\" title=\"Joe Biden Knows He Messed Up On Fracking At Debate And Is Now Doing Damage Control | The Daily Wire\">vice presidential candidate<\/a>. Although he did achieve that rank, he was moved down to the rank of master sergeant before he retired in 2005.<\/p>\n<p>The campaign has since updated his bio.<\/p>\n<p>Walz has also come under scrutiny for remarks he made in 2018 when he referred to &ldquo;weapons of war&rdquo; that he &ldquo;carried in war&rdquo; as a way to denounce gun violence. It was pointed out that Walz never served in a combat zone.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There is no honor in lying about the nature of your service,&rdquo; the lawmakers wrote. &ldquo;Repeatedly claiming to be a &lsquo;Retired Command Sergeant Major&rsquo; when you did not complete the requirements was not honorable. Nor was it honorable to claim to carry weapons &lsquo;in war&rsquo; when you had not served in war.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Harris campaign has responded to those criticisms, arguing Walz &ldquo;misspoke&rdquo; when he said he carried weapons of war. Instead, the campaign noted, Walz did &ldquo;handle weapons of war.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The GOP veterans also decried Walz for &ldquo;abandoning&rdquo; the National Guard unit he oversaw before it was deployed to Iraq to run for Congress &mdash; an accusation the Trump campaign has repeatedly thrown at Walz despite the fact that he announced his campaign plans months before the unit received its mobilization order.<\/p>\n<p>The letter comes as Walz has faced scrutiny from all corners of the GOP over his military background, with Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance, a Marine Corps veteran, accusing his Democratic counterpart of &ldquo;stolen valor.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He has not spent a day in a combat zone,&rdquo; Vance told reporters in Michigan earlier this month. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d be ashamed if I was him and I lied about my military service like he did.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Walz has repeatedly defended his military service, criticizing his GOP opponents by saying they should &ldquo;never denigrate another person&rsquo;s service record.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to say it again as clearly as I can: I am damn proud of my service to the country,&rdquo; Walz said last week at an event in Los Angeles. &ldquo;To anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country, including my opponent, I just have a few simple words: Thank you for your service and sacrifice.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"scribd_iframe_embed\" title=\"Letter to Governor Tim Walz from GOP veterans\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/embeds\/761153942\/content?start_page=1&amp;view_mode=scroll&amp;access_key=key-G7qovzvDsW9ux5rVoVME\" data-auto-height=\"false\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.7729220222793488\" scrolling=\"no\" id=\"doc_94736\" width=\"100%\" height=\"600\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe> <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_1734825\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1734825\"}});<\/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>Republican lawmakers criticize Walz for misleading military service claims<\/p>\n<p>Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, is under fire for how he has represented his military service. A group of 50 Republican veterans in Congress has publicly condemned the Minnesota governor, urging him to &#8220;come clean&#8221; about his record. In a letter addressed to Walz on Wednesday, these lawmakers accused him of making &#8220;egregious misrepresentations&#8221; regarding his military background and lying about the nature of his service. The letter was signed by four senators and 46 representatives, including both staunch supporters of former President Donald Trump and centrist GOP members from competitive districts.<\/p>\n<p>The letter states that while Walz has expressed pride in his service\u2014something all American veterans should feel\u2014his false claims about military experiences undermine the sacrifices made by those who have served in combat. It emphasizes that military service is more than just a job or uniform.<\/p>\n<p>This criticism follows an incident where Vice President Kamala Harris&#8217;s campaign initially described Walz as a &#8220;retired Command Sergeant Major.&#8221; Although he did reach that rank, he was demoted to master sergeant before retiring in 2005; this description has since been corrected. Additionally, scrutiny arose over comments made by Walz in 2018 when he referred to carrying \u201cweapons of war\u201d during combat to address gun violence issues; critics noted that he never served in a combat zone.<\/p>\n<p>The GOP lawmakers stated there is no honor in misrepresenting one&#8217;s military experience and criticized repeated claims of being a \u201cRetired Command Sergeant Major\u201d without fulfilling the necessary requirements or claiming involvement in warfare when it did not occur.<\/p>\n<p>In response to these allegations, Harris&#8217;s campaign argued that Walz simply &#8220;misspoke&#8221; regarding carrying weapons but clarified that he did handle them during training. The Republican veterans also accused him of abandoning his National Guard unit before its deployment to Iraq so he could run for Congress\u2014a claim reiterated by Trump&#8217;s campaign despite evidence showing Walz announced his candidacy months prior to any mobilization orders.<\/p>\n<p>As scrutiny mounts from various factions within the GOP regarding his military history, Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance labeled him as someone guilty of \u201cstolen valor,\u201d emphasizing that Walz had never spent time in a combat zone and expressing shame over what Vance perceives as dishonesty about military service.<\/p>\n<p>Walz has consistently defended himself against these attacks on his record while criticizing opponents who denigrate others&#8217; service histories. He reaffirmed last week at an event: \u201cI am damn proud of my service,\u201d thanking all who wear the uniform for their contributions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2640,"featured_media":2328283,"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\/Tim_Walz_Pennsylvania_2024_2.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[6203,33583,38793,27318,32076],"class_list":["post-2328282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-gop","tag-military-record","tag-veteran-lawmakers","tag-walz","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Tim_Walz_Pennsylvania_2024_2.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2328282","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\/2640"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2328282"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2328282\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2328283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2328282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2328282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2328282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}