In CNN interview, Walz states his military record 'speaks for itself'
Minnesota's governor expresses pride in his 24 years of service with the National Guard.
TroibNews 
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz recently addressed allegations that he misrepresented his military history during a joint interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, marking one of the principal media engagements of their electoral journey. During the interview hosted by CNN's Dana Bash, Walz responded to 2018 statements made while campaigning for Congress, in which he claimed to have "carried a weapon of war in war" while advocating for limitations on assault weapons.
Walz, who has 24 years of experience in the National Guard yet never saw combat, admitted to misspeaking, attributing it to a mix-up in his wording. "My grammar is not always correct," he explained.
The critique from Republican circles came quickly after Walz was announced as Harris' vice presidential candidate, aiming to discredit him early in the campaign. However, the impact of these allegations has been relatively subdued. This comparatively mild response is seen in the context of former President Donald Trump's well-documented attempts to avoid military service, and his former running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, who, despite serving four years in the Marine Corps with a deployment to Iraq, also lacks combat experience.
In his conversation on CNN, Walz confidently referred to his own service record to counter the criticism. "I'm incredibly proud I've done 24 years of wearing the uniform of this country, equally proud of my service in a public school classroom, whether it's Congress or the governor," he declared. "My record speaks for itself. I speak candidly. I wear my emotions on my sleeves, and I speak especially passionately about our children being shot in schools and around guns."
Governor Walz also brushed off other critiques, including personal attacks against his family, pointedly referencing emotional public gestures of support from his son at the Democratic National Convention. "If it's not this, it's an attack on my children for showing love for me, or it's an attack on my dog," Walz stated. He firmly concluded, "I'm not going to do that. And the one thing I'll never do is I'll never demean another member's service in any way. I never have and I never will."
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
Walz, who has 24 years of experience in the National Guard yet never saw combat, admitted to misspeaking, attributing it to a mix-up in his wording. "My grammar is not always correct," he explained.
The critique from Republican circles came quickly after Walz was announced as Harris' vice presidential candidate, aiming to discredit him early in the campaign. However, the impact of these allegations has been relatively subdued. This comparatively mild response is seen in the context of former President Donald Trump's well-documented attempts to avoid military service, and his former running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, who, despite serving four years in the Marine Corps with a deployment to Iraq, also lacks combat experience.
In his conversation on CNN, Walz confidently referred to his own service record to counter the criticism. "I'm incredibly proud I've done 24 years of wearing the uniform of this country, equally proud of my service in a public school classroom, whether it's Congress or the governor," he declared. "My record speaks for itself. I speak candidly. I wear my emotions on my sleeves, and I speak especially passionately about our children being shot in schools and around guns."
Governor Walz also brushed off other critiques, including personal attacks against his family, pointedly referencing emotional public gestures of support from his son at the Democratic National Convention. "If it's not this, it's an attack on my children for showing love for me, or it's an attack on my dog," Walz stated. He firmly concluded, "I'm not going to do that. And the one thing I'll never do is I'll never demean another member's service in any way. I never have and I never will."
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
