Fifty Republican members of Congress, all military veterans, have signed a letter to Governor Tim Walz condemning the Democratic vice presidential nominee for “serious misrepresentations” of his military service and calling on him to “come clean.”
The letter, shared with POLITICO, is signed by members of the House and Senate from across the Republican spectrum, including longtime die-hard supporters of former President Donald Trump and more moderate members from competitive House districts. It follows a statement signed Friday by 18 Democratic military veterans in Congress defending Walz against attacks on his record.
Walz, who served 24 years in the Army National Guard, came under fire after being named Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate due to several apparent inconsistencies during his time in the military.
“You have stated that you are ‘damn proud’ of your service, and like every American veteran, you should be too,” the Republican members of Congress wrote in a document printed with Trump-Vance campaign letterhead. “But there is no honor in lying about the nature of your service.”
Senators Joni Ernst of Iowa, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Rick Scott of Florida and Roger Wicker of Mississippi signed the letter, and from the House of Representatives, topping the list of signatures was Rep. Brian Mast of Florida, who lost his legs while serving in Afghanistan.
The list of veteran Republican House members who signed the letter ranged from Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska to Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana, and included dozens of names in between.
“You have betrayed the trust of our brothers and sisters at gunpoint,” the congressmen wrote. “Their blood, sweat, and sacrifice are the only reason our nation exists. Until you admit that you lied to them, there is no way you can be trusted to serve as Vice President.”
In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for Walz noted that a statement was recently issued by Democratic members of Congress supporting Walz as a “steadfast advocate for veterans and military families,” and that an open letter was released by the campaign last week, with signatures from 1,000 military veterans.
Harris’ campaign initially referred to Walz as a “retired Command Sergeant Major,” a rank he achieved but was reduced to master sergeant before retiring in 2005. The campaign later updated his online biography.
And Walz referred to “weapons of war, which I carried in wars” in 2018 when he condemned gun violence, even though he did not serve in a combat zone. A spokesperson for Harris has since said he “misspoke” when he said he carried weapons in wars, but that he did “handle weapons of war.”
Trump allies also accuse Walz of withdrawing from his National Guard unit before it was to be deployed to Iraq to run for Congress. Walz announced his campaign plans in 2005, months before his unit received a mobilization order.
Walz faced allegations about his military service during his race for governor in 2018. A paid letter to the editor, written by two retired command sergeant majors, alleged that Walz misrepresented his rank during the campaign.
Trump has also faced criticism from Democrats and the Veterans of Foreign Wars after he said the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a civilian award, is “far superior” to the Congressional Medal of Honor. Trump said last week at his New Jersey golf club that service members who receive the Medal of Honor “are either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit by so many bullets, or they’re dead.”
VFW National Commander Al Lipphardt issued a statement calling Trump’s comments “idiotic.”
Trump’s running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, a Marine veteran, has been one of the most outspoken critics of Walz’s explanation of his military service. At a campaign rally, he accused Walz of “stolen valor.”
In response to Republican criticism, Walz fiercely defended his military service earlier this month, saying, “You should never denigrate another person’s service record.”
“I’m going to say it as clearly as I can: I’m damn proud of my service to the country,” Walz said at an event in Los Angeles. “To everyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country, including my opponent, I have a few simple words: Thank you for your service and sacrifice.”
Vance continued to pester Walz about this.
“He’s never spent a day in a combat zone,” Vance told reporters at a campaign rally in Michigan earlier this month. “Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. … I would be ashamed if I were him, and I would lie about my military service like he did.”
