Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) fled the scene after being questioned whether he lied about his military resumé, an escalating stolen valor scandal threatening his position on the ticket.
Walz and Vice President Kamala Harris were wrapping a brief address – during which Harris praised Walz’s record – to a small crowd from a Wisconsin tarmac Wednesday when questions shouted from distant press confines seemed to spur a hasty exit by Walz.
Although the duo took no questions (Harris has refused to hold a press conference or answer reporter questions for 17 days), one reporter repeatedly shouted out to Walz regarding allegations by Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) and others that Walz lied about his military career.
REPORTER: Your response to allegation of stolen valor?
WALZ: *ignores*
REPORTER: Your response to allegation of stolen valor!?
WALZ: *runs away* pic.twitter.com/el3sPGDYuM
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 7, 2024
Walz began walking in the opposite direction as the first round of questions began, abandoning Harris in a friendly photo op with children and others.
After the reporter renewed his questioning, Walz and his entourage bolted towards black SUVs, appearing to leave Harris behind on the tarmac.
Vance made his bombshell accusation Wednesday, explaining:
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. 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.
As Breitbart reported, Vance pointed out that Walz — a retired Army National Guard master sergeant — not only dropped out of the Army before his unit deployed to Iraq, but has lied about his military service, claiming that he carried weapons “in war” — when he never served in combat or war.
The Ohio Senator referenced a video clip — posted by the Harris-Walz campaign — showing Walz claiming he “used” weapons “in war” – despite having never been deployed into combat.
Gov. @Tim_Walz: I spent 25 years in the Army and I hunt. I’ve been voting for common sense legislation that protects the Second Amendment, but we can do background checks. We can research the impacts of gun violence. We can make sure those weapons of war, that I carried in war,… pic.twitter.com/3IVaXi2RP2
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 6, 2024
Republicans have also criticized Walz for allegedly inflating his rank. As Breitbart’s Kristina Wong reported, “[Walz] has claimed that he is a retired command sergeant major, but his rank was reduced to master sergeant since he did not finish the requirements to retire as a command sergeant major. Despite this, he has boasted about retiring as a command sergeant major on multiple occasions.”
I’ve seen the reports on Tim Walz’s military record and he has some explaining to do. pic.twitter.com/Qo6lhUbS4h
— Rep. Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) August 7, 2024
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
