A video has emerged showing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz asserting that he carried weapons of war into actual combat. A response from the Minnesota National Guard to Fox News challenges the claim that Walz participated in any battles, stating instead that he avoided skirmishes and retired, leaving his troops behind.
Walz, the selected vice presidential candidate for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, has served for 25 years in the National Guard.
A video of Walz making the contentious claim is available on X.
“I served 25 years in the Army and I hunt. I have backed common sense legislation that supports the Second Amendment, but we can implement background checks. We can study the effects of gun violence. We can ensure that those weapons of war, which I carried in battle, are only used in war,” Walz expressed in his address, targeting voters opposed to guns on the streets.
VETERAN FROM TIM WALZ’S BATTALION RESPONDS TO STOLEN VALOR ALLEGATIONS: ‘MUCH DARKER THAN PEOPLE BELIEVE’
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris is welcomed by Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz before delivering remarks at a campaign event on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Eau Claire, Wisc. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Behrends, associated with Walz’s battalion, criticized the governor’s remarks.
“To the average person, this implies he was truly in combat, carrying a weapon in a combat zone and receiving combat pay while under fire,” Behrends stated on ‘Ingraham Angle’ on Wednesday.
Walz did not specify which conflict he served in. Throughout his time in the Guard, there were two wars in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, neither of which are reflected in his military record.
JD VANCE CHARGES TIM WALZ WITH ‘LYING’ ABOUT MILITARY SERVICE: ‘STOLEN VALOR GARBAGE’
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz listens as President Joe Biden speaks at Dutch Creek Farms in Northfield, Minn., on Nov. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
The Minnesota National Guard informed Fox News that Walz participated in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) while stationed in Italy with his unit in 2005; however, he retired before his unit was deployed for combat.
“Walz exited the National Guard in May 2005 after 24 years of service. His unit received deployment orders to Iraq only in July. He had submitted his retirement papers 5-7 months before his departure in May,” stated the Minnesota National Guard.
“Furthermore, questions arise regarding his service in OEF. His battalion was dispatched to Europe, specifically Vicenza, to train artillery units—his area of expertise. Being deployed overseas in support of OEF confirms, according to National Guard standards, that he officially served in OEF, regardless of whether he set foot in Afghanistan. This is recorded in his official military service record.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s office for a statement but received an automated reply.
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Walz was announced this week as the running mate for Kamala Harris on the Democratic ticket. Harris, the current vice president, aims to succeed President Biden and challenge former President Donald Trump in the general election.
Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance speaks with the media regarding Vice President Kamala Harris’ pick for potential Vice President. (Fox News)
J.D. Vance, running alongside Trump, served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years. While at an event in Michigan on Wednesday, Vance accused Walz of abandoning his fellow soldiers just before their deployment to Iraq.
“You deserted your unit right before they were sent to Iraq,” Vance stated.
Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
