5The Harris-Walz campaign edited its biography of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on their website, changing a reference to his military rank amid a swirl of ‘stolen valor’ allegations.
Since being tapped as Kamala Harris’ running mate early this week, several videos of Walz embellishing his military credentials have surfaced. His campaign has falsely asserted that he is a retired “command sergeant major,” while Walz himself has claimed to have carried weapons “in war.” In fact, Walz did not serve in combat and instead retired as a master sergeant following a reduction in rank.
The Harris-Walz campaign website previously referred to him as a “retired Command Sergeant Major” but has now been updated to say he “served as a command sergeant major.” The change is the first response from the Harris-Walz campaign to growing scrutiny over Walz’s military record.
“Tim Walz said he carried a gun in a war. Did he? No. It was a lie,” Republican Vice Presidential nominee J.D. Vance posted Thursday. A Marine Corps veteran, Vance has accused Walz of engaging in “stolen valor garbage.”
“When I got the call to go to Iraq, I went.”
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Brianna this is disgusting, and you and your entire network should be ashamed of yourselves.
When I got the call to go to Iraq, I went.
Tim Walz said he carried a gun in a war. Did he? No. It was a lie. https://t.co/kt0oxzZb83
— JD Vance (@JDVance) August 8, 2024
Walz joined Harris’ Presidential ticket on Tuesday. Before his political career, Walz served nearly 25 years in the Minnesota National Guard. During his service, he achieved the rank of command sergeant major but was reduced in rank after he retired without completing all requirements for the position.
“As a Marine who served his country in uniform when the United States Marine Corps, when the United States of America asked me to go to Iraq to serve my country, I did it. I did what they asked me to do, and I did it honorably,” Vance said durin1g a campaign event Wednesday.
“When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq, you know what he did? He dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him, a fact that he’s been criticized for aggressively by a lot of the people that he served with.” ~ Sen. J.D. Vance
“I think it’s shameful to prepare your unit to go to Iraq, to make a promise that you’re going to follow through, and then to drop out right before you actually have to go.”
One veteran from Walz’s former battalion said he “ditched” his unit. In an interview with Fox News, Thomas Schilling called Walz “dishonorable” for leaving the unit just before their deployment to Iraq.
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Here’s an ad from Tim Walz in 2006, in which he falsely claims to be a “command sergeant major” (he’s a retired master sergeant) who retired “four years late” (he quit early to run for Congress — abandoning his battalion just before they deployed to Iraq) pic.twitter.com/fWtTbgidX7
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 8, 2024
“We all did what we were supposed to do, we did the right thing,” Schilling told Fox News host Jesse Watters. “It’s dishonorable what he did. He left somebody else up to take over his spot. He just ditched us.”
“It would be a disaster if he ever got to be the commander-in-chief,” he added.
After selecting Walz as her running mate, Harris received a boost in her poll numbers, overtaking GOP nominee Donald Trump, according to several pollsters. Since Thursday, however, Trump has begun to reclaim his lead.
A CNBC poll conducted last week found Trump leading by 2 points, while a Rasmussen poll published this week shows Trump ahead by 5 points.
Trump and Harris are expected to square off in their first debate on September 10 on ABC News.
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