JD Vance fumes over criticism of his military record despite attacking Tim Walz on similar grounds

WASHINGTON, DC: Republican vice presidential candidate Sen JD Vance (R-Ohio) had a meltdown when CNN host Brianna Keilar questioned his military record on Thursday, August 8.

Ironically, Vance himself has launched similar attacks against his Democratic counterpart, Minnesota Gov Tim Walz, since he was announced as Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate, reported The New Republic.

According to his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, Vance served a single four-year enlistment in the public affairs section in the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and was “lucky to escape any real fighting.” On the other hand, Walz's military record includes serving with the Army National Guard for 24 years.

The unit in which Walz served received a mobilization order for Iraq months after his deployment. However, Vance did not care for the details, as he demanded at a rally in Michigan on Wednesday, "When were you ever in war? What bothers me about Tim Walz is this stolen valor garbage. Do not pretend to be something that you’re not.”

Brianna Keilar's criticism of JD Vance

Brianna Keiler, who is married to an active duty Green Beret, hits back against JD Vance's attack on Tim Walz saying, "At what point did military service become a liability? I also think that JD Vance as a messenger on this may be an imperfect messenger.”

"You introduced him as a combat correspondent, which was what his title was, but when you dig a little deeper into that, he was a public affairs specialist, someone who did not see combat, which certainly the title ‘combat correspondent’ kind of gives you a different impression. So he may be the imperfect messenger on that,” she explained to host Dana Bash on 'Inside Politics.'

"At the same time, then you have this argument going on where it seems to be, ‘Did you really serve your country unless you were shot at a lot?’ And I just think that’s a very, kind of, gross place to be because there is so much service and sacrifice that goes on in the military," she added.

JD Vance's reaction to criticism

Senator JD Vance was unable to handle his military record being put into question and vented out against Keilar on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

"It’s easy to sit in the comfort and safety of a @CNN studio and trivialize the service of countless men and women who risked their lives," he wrote.

"I served with some of the people mentioned in this thread. I miss them all very much. Shameful of @brikeilarcnn to slander an entire MOS."

Brianna Keiler's message after JD Vance's tweet

The CNN host Brianna Keiler backed away from her criticism of JD Vance, stating on the network on Friday, "Informer observers connected to politics or the military, myself included, have noted that the Trump campaign is 'swiftboating' Tim Walz. Attacks on JD Vance's campaign are also offensive."

"JD Vance served honorably in Iraq, a combat zone where anything can happen and frequently does. As he said in his book, he was, quote, ‘lucky to escape any real fighting.’ That doesn't make his service less than. ‘Lucky,’ he says. And luck is often what makes the difference in a combat zone or even a training mission. That today is not your day."

"In a country where so few shoulder the burden, military service should not be a liability, it should be an asset. And despite our recent years as a country at war, many service members haven't seen combat. That doesn't make them or their service less admirable, or less necessary. Nor does retiring from the National Guard after 24 years."

These kinds of attacks from the left or the right diminish the service of so many others who have served honorably, who sacrifice time away from family, who put themselves in harm's way because the military is made largely of JD Vances and Tim Walzs," she added.