Walz’s Military Record Under Fire: Critics Accuse Him of Misrepresentation

CNN political analyst Van Jones weighed in on the controversy surrounding Gov. Tim Walz’s military service, suggesting that the Minnesota Democrat may have been “loose with his language” when discussing his time in the military.

Bryan Lanza, a former deputy communications director for Trump’s 2016 campaign, pointed out that Walz’s record is open to criticism, particularly with regards to his claims of being an Enduring Freedom veteran. A 2004 photo of Walz referring to himself as such has raised eyebrows, as the Department of Defense does not recognize him as a recipient of the Enduring Freedom title.

Lanza argued that this discrepancy raises questions about Walz’s character, and that the governor cannot claim to have served in combat and then downplay it 20 years later. “He can’t have it both ways,” Lanza said. “It goes to character, and that’s a problem for the campaign.”

Jones acknowledged that Walz may have misspoken, but emphasized the importance of clarifying the issue. “They should clean it up,” Jones said. “If he needs to clean it up, clean it up. The reality is, if he said one or two things that turned out to be maybe a little bit sloppy, fix it.”

Jones expressed confidence that Walz’s character will ultimately prevail, citing the many people who are willing to vouch for him. “He’s got a gazillion people willing to stand up for his character,” Jones said. “He’s got gay students who are willing to stand up for his character. He’s got people he served with who are willing to stand up for his character.”

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