Nancy Pelosi once commended Tim Walz for service ‘on the battlefield’ though he has never seen combat

WASHINGTON, DC: Tim Walz, the running mate of Vice President Kamala Harris, has come under scrutiny for his military record—particularly regarding accusations of "stolen valor" and embellishments about his service.

The controversy dates back to a moment in 2007 when then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed her gratitude for Walz's service, which many have claimed was misrepresented.

What did Nancy Pelosi say about Tim Walz?

The controversy surrounding Tim Walz began during a press conference on February 16, 2007, when Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House at the time, praised Walz for his service.

Pelosi was quoted as saying, "He will speak for himself, but I want him to know how much we all appreciate his service to our country, whether it’s in the classroom or on the battlefield."

This implied that Walz had seen combat, which is false, the New York Post reported.

Walz, who served 24 years in the Minnesota National Guard, did not correct Pelosi’s statement. Instead, he thanked her and the Democratic leadership for their support, saying, "Well, thank you, Madam Speaker, and thank you to the leadership here."

At the time, Walz was a freshman Congressman representing Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District. Notably, during this press conference, C-SPAN labeled Walz as an “Afghanistan War Veteran” in its chyron.

Despite the accolades, Walz had never been deployed to an active war zone. His service did include deployments to Italy, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (the war in Afghanistan), and Norway, in support of NATO. These locations were far removed from direct combat zones, with Italy being over 3,000 miles away from Afghanistan.

Walz retired from the National Guard in May 2005, just as his battalion was preparing for deployment to Iraq. His decision to retire before deployment has been a focal point for criticism, especially from Republican circles.

Accusations of 'stolen valor' against Tim Walz

Recently, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance has been vocal in his criticism of Walz. During a speech in Michigan, Vance, a Marine Corps veteran, accused Walz of abandoning his unit before their deployment to Iraq.

“What was this weapon that you carried into war, given that you abandoned your unit right before they went to Iraq, and he has not spent a day in a combat zone? What bothers me about Tim Walz is the stolen valor garbage,” Vance said. “I’d be ashamed if I were him and lied about my military service like he did.”

Vance’s remarks referenced a resurfaced clip from 2018 in which Walz said, “We can research the impacts of gun violence. We can make sure those weapons of war, that I carried in war, are only carried in war.”

Vance argued that Walz should not "pretend to be something that you’re not", emphasizing the importance of honesty about military service.

In response to these allegations, Lauren Hitt, a spokesperson for the Harris-Walz campaign, issued a statement clarifying Walz’s remarks from 2018.

Hitt said, "Governor Walz would never insult or undermine any American’s service to this country — in fact, he thanks Senator Vance for putting his life on the line for our country. It’s the American way."

“In making the case for why weapons of war should never be on our streets or in our classrooms, the Governor misspoke,” Hitt continued. “He did handle weapons of war and believes strongly that only military members trained to carry those deadly weapons should have access to them, unlike Donald Trump and JD Vance who prioritize the gun lobby over our children.”

Misrepresentation of Tim Walz's rank in the National Guard

Another aspect of the controversy involves Tim Walz’s rank in the National Guard. During the 2007 press conference, Walz claimed his rank was "command sergeant major," a title he never actually held.

Walz said, "As someone who’s spent their entire military career as an enlisted person, my job as a command sergeant major or as a first sergeant was solely to take care of these troops."

However, it was later revealed that Walz had not completed the necessary coursework to attain this rank, retiring instead as a master sergeant.

The misrepresentation of his rank became a point of contention, particularly as the Harris-Walz campaign quietly removed the "command sergeant major" title from Walz’s official biography on its website following the resurgence of these issues.

The controversy has also drawn comments from former president Donald Trump.

At a campaign rally in Bozeman, Montana, Trump contrasted Walz’s record with that of Tim Sheehy, a GOP Senate candidate and former Navy SEAL, saying, "His really is valor, it’s valor for heroism award. You know, the other one talks about valor, he has a different kind of valor, it’s the opposite."

As the 2024 election approaches, the scrutiny of Walz’s military record has become a hot-button issue for the Harris-Walz campaign. Despite the backlash, Harris has remained supportive of Walz, saying, “Listen, I praise anyone who has presented themselves to serve our country. And I think that we all should.”